$• LIBRARY ()F'Ci»X(iRE 






[UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. J 




E*g a VA.H.:- . 



T H E 



L I V E 8 



7 



ULYSSES S. GRANT, 



SCHUYLER COLFAX 



BY GEN. JAMES S. BRISBIN. 




CINCINNATI: 

C. F. VENT & CO., PUBLISHERS. 

CHICAGO: J. S. GOODMAN & CO. 

1869. 



.£"<£ 7 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by 
C. F. VENT & CO., 

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States, for the 

Southern District of Ohio. 



STEREOTYPED AT THK KKANKI.IN TYPE FOUNDRY, CINCINNATI. 



PREFACE 



An author's first book must necessarily be defective, espe- 
cially if that book be written about events in which hundreds 
of thousands of persons were actors. In this volume I have 
aimed to do justice only to two characters. If, therefore, sol- 
diers and statesmen, who may chance to read it, do not find their 
own names recorded, or a full account of the events with which 
they were connected given, let them remember I am not writing 
of them and of the events, only so far as they relate to Grant 
and Colfax. 

It is always difficult to write of a man who is still living, for, 
whether it be to censure or praise him, the writer must feel more 
or less embarrassed. Remembering Lossing's motto, that " he 
who writes the truth should write all of it," I have endeavored 
to gather, from every possible source, such information concern- 
ing the illustrious General Grant as would be of interest to the 
reader; and I desire, in advance, to give credit to Mr. Larke, 
Abbott, Badeau, Reid, General Rawlins, and others, for such 
matter as I have used from their books, letters, and papers. 
A number of officers, who served with General Grant in Mexico 
and Oregon, and several of his personal friends, have been good 
enough to write me much that is interesting ; and to them, one 
and all, I beg leave, in this public manner, to return my sincere 
thanks. 

A careful investigation of all the facts connected with the life 
of General Grant will convince any impartial person that he is 
really a great man. Reason as we may on his career, provo 

(vii) 



Vlll PREFACE. 

that at but few times he has shown any marked evidence of 
genius, praise his subordinates as we will, still he stands the 
first soldier of his country, unique, remarkable, peculiar, the 
study of a nation. Here we behold a man silent, modest, un- 
ambitious, by his great talents in times of public danger, heap- 
ing benefactions ou his country, until the nation, proud, grateful, 
unanimous, showers upon him all its honors, and raises him to 
an office which it has to create in order that the office may be 
worthy of the man. He, the poor son of a tanner, unpretending, 
without friends or influence, until his deeds had won both, un- 
used to the world, rises, not suddenly, but step by step, in spite 
of the machinations of enemies and jealousies of men of lesser 
talents, to the head of our armies, and there, uudazzled by his 
eminence, unspoiled by his honors, strong and self-poised, ex- 
hibits new talents, and maintains himself with so great credit 
that his fellow-citizens lay at his feet the crown of the republic 
and beg him to wear it, not to honor him, but to honor them. 

Before he was forty-three years of age he had participated in 
two great wars, captured five hundred guns, more than one hun- 
dred thousand prisoners, a quarter of a million of small arms, 
redeemed from rebel rule over fifty thousand square miles of 
territory, re-opened to the commerce of the world the mightiest 
river on the globe, and stubbornly pursued his path to victory, 
despite of all obstacles. Since then, he has crushed out the re- 
bellion in the East, reestablished the authority of the Union 
over a territory larger than France, taken two hundred battle- 
flags, scores of canon, thousands upon thousands of prisoners, 
and hundreds of thousands of small arms, and then modestly 
returned to the capital of the nation, to disband his army of a 
million of men, lay his sword at the feet of the Congress of the 
people, and wait their pleasure whether he should fill a high 
station or become an humble private citizen. The world fur- 
nishes few such examples of greatness and humility, and our 
country only one other — that of George Washington. 

Will any reasonable man say all these events in the life of 
Grant are the result of accident or mere good luck? Surely to 



PREFACE. ix 

assert that would be as foolish as unjust, and subject the person 
to the jeers and contempt of the world. His acts are the result 
of great wisdom and talents, and not the caprice of fortune. 
Consider his tribulations at Shiloh, his toils at Vicksburg, his 
battles of the Wilderness, his siege of Petersburg and capture 
of Lee, his conduct in the difficult Cabinet position forced upon 
him by the President, and, lastly, his measures during the im- 
peachment excitement. When our President was bursting with 
rage; when the War Minister was hedged about with bayonets; 
when the country was trembling from center to circumference 
with excitement ; when the Executive and the Congress seemed 
about to call out under arms their respective partisans and in- 
augurate another civil war, to whom did the people look with 
confidence and hope? Ulysses Grant, and none other. Un- 
moved by the tempest of passion raging over the land, conscious 
of his own strength and ability to control the storm, he sat 
calmly and serenely in his head-quarters, now receiving anxious 
inquiries from the President's friends, and anon receiving a 
delegation of grave but excited Senators, assuring all, nay, con- 
vincing all that the republic was safe. Was this accident, or 
greatness? If not greatness, why did not some other man of 
the hundred great men in the capital calm the elements and 
give confidence to the country? If an accident, it was such a 
one as retrieved the misfortunes of Shiloh, stormed the fortresses 
of Vicksburg, pushed Lee from the Wilderness, and finally broke 
his sword at Five Forks. 

Some men are born great, others have greatness thrust upon 
them, while others again wring greatness from the world. To 
the latter class emphatically belongs Ulysses Grant ; and yet it 
may with truth be said that he belongs to the second class, for, 
being as modest as he was great, he claimed nothing for his 
services, and honors and greatness had to be thrust upon him. 
I am nobody's puffer. I do not say these things of Grant to 
bring him out for the Presidency, for to commend him to the 
American people would be like recommending Alexander, or 
Csesar, or Napoleon, to historians as subjects worthy of their 



X PREFACE. 

consideration. I do not say them for the purpose of currying 
favor with Grant, or for any selfish or improper reason, but I 
utter them because I believe them to be true, because I think 
Grant a great and good man, because I admire him as a soldier 
and statesman, and feel grateful to him for reestablishing the 
Union of these States, and thus preserving for me and my chil- 
dren the Government which the fathers founded. What Wash- 
ington established, he, with his mighty sword, has preserved; 
and hereafter the names of Washington and Grant will stand 
side by side, and, in marble and brass, fill every niche of our 
country's fame to the latest posterity. 

Of the other person named in this volume, I need only say 
that he has been in the civil department of the Government 
what General Grant has been in the military — as eminent in 
legislation as he in war. A young man of brilliant talents, an 
eminent statesman, the purity of whose public and private char- 
acter has made his name a word of honor throughout the land, 
he of all men is fittest to be associated in high honor and power 
with the illustrious hero of the age. Bespeaking for my work 
the liberal treatment of critics, with serious misgivings I launch 
it upon the public, conscious that it is not without defects. 

THE AUTHOR. 
Lexington, Ky., July 1st, 1868. 



CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION 

(Page 17-23). 



CHAPTER I. 

(Page 24-28). 

GRANT'S ANCESTORS — HIS PARENTS WHERE AND WHEN HE WAS BORN 

ANECDOTES OF GRANT HIS FIRST PISTOL-SHOT— HE GOES TO SCHOOL AT 

GEORGETOWN WHAT HE SAID TO HIS TEACHER THE BUMBLE-BEE 

FIGHTER GRANT BUYS A HORSE OF FARMER RALSTON— HE THRASHES 

HIS COUSIN JOHN FOR CALLING WASHINGTON A REBEL MORE ANECDOTES 

ABOUT GRANT HE SWIMS WHITE OAK CREEK IN A WAGON HOW HE 

FLANKED THE LOGS — MR. HAMER GETS HIM AN APPOINTMENT TO WEST 
POINT HIS ENTREE INTO THAT INSTITUTION. 



CHAPTER II. 

(Page 29—47). 

GRANT AS A CADET AT WEST POINT — HIS PROGRESS IN THE CLASSES — HE 

GRADUATES NO. 21 IN A CLASS OF THIRTY-NINE WHO GRADUATED IN 

GRANT'S CLASS, AND WHAT BECAME OF THEM WHAT GRANT LOOKED 

LIKE WHEN HE LEFT WEST POINT ANECDOTE OF THE HERO HE FALLS 

IN LOVE WITH MISS JULIA DENT IS ORDERED OFF TO MEXICO PARTICI- 
PATES* IN THE BATTLES OF PALO ALTO AND RESACA DE LA PALMA IS 

APPOINTED QUARTERMASTER DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF AT CIIEPULTE- 

PEG W HAT THE OFFICIAL REPORTS SAY OF HIM — HIS OLD COMRADES IN 

MEXICO, AND WHAT BECAME OF THEM — RETURNS FROM THE MEXICAN WAR 
AND MARRIES. (11) 



12 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 

(Page 4S— 63.) 

GRANT AND CHANDLER GRANT IS STATIONED AT DETROIT AND SACKETTS 

HARBOR GOES TO CALIFORNIA AND THENCE TO OREGON — GARRISON LIFE 

ON THE FRONTIER — HE IS APPOINTED A FULL CAPTAIN RESIGNS FROM 

THE ARMY AND RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS BECOMES A FARMER — SKETCHES 

OF GRANT IN CIVIL LIFE GOES INTO THE REAL ESTATE AND AUCTION- 
EERING BUSINESS MOVES TO GALENA, ILLINOIS — RAISES A COMPANY FOR 

THE WAR IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST ILLINOIS 

INFANTRY. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(Page 64-83.) 

GRANT AS A COLONEL IS ASSIGNED TO COMMAND OF A BRIGADE IS AP- 
POINTED BRIGADIER-GENERAL, AND ASSIGNED TO COMMAND AT CAIRO 

GRANT'S ENEMIES HE CUTS THE NEUTRALITY KNOT IN KENTUCKY 

CAPTURE OF PADUCAH THE BATTLE OF BELMONT WHY THAT BATTLE 

WAS FOUGHT THE EXPEDITION INTO KENTUCKY PREPARATIONS TO 

ATTACK FORT HENRY FALL OF FORT HENRY — PREPARATIONS TO ATTACK 

FORT DONELSON CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON REJOICING OF THE PEO- 
PLE GRANT PROMOTED BY THE PRESIDENT TO MAJOR-GENERAL NEW 

DISTRICT CREATED FOR HIM HE GETS UNDER A CLOUD IS RELIEVED 

FROM HIS DISGRACE PREPARATIONS FOR THE BATTE OF SHILOH. 



CHAPTER Y. 

(Page 84—99.) 

GRANT RECEIVES A HANDSOME PRESENT GRANT AT SAVANNAH GENERAL 

C. F. SMITH AND GRANT — COMPOSITION OF THE TWO ARMIES THE BAT- 
TLE-FIELD OF SHILOH — POSITION OF THE TROOPS A. S. JOHNSTON'S 

ADDRESS TO HIS SOLDIERS SKIRMISHING BEFORE THE BATTLE THE 

BATTLE CONDUCT OF LEWIS WALLACE AND NELSON BUELL ARRIVES 

ON THE FIELD WHAT HE SAID TO GRANT THE SECOND DAY'S BATTLE 

GRANT AND THE FIRST OHIO REGIMENT THE NEW YORK HERALD'S 

ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE — REJOICING OVER THE NEWS COMPLIMENTARY 

ORDER TO GRANT AND BUELL — GRANT'S CONDUCT IN THE BATTLE. 



CONTENTS. 13 

CHAPTER VI. 

(Page 100-117.) 

halleck assumes command of the army — grants enemies again busy 

wasiiburn's defense of him — advance on corinth — digging and 

ditching letters from a union soldier — elliots raid pursuit 

of the enemy from corinth grants position he is placed in 

command of the district of tennessee — halleck succeeds m'clel- 
lan — grant and the rebels — grant and the newspapers — how he 
treated guerrillas price's raid advance on iuka the bat- 
tle defeat and escape of the rebels — battle of corinth de- 
feat and retreat of the rebels grant's congratulatory order 

to his army mr. lincoln's dispatch. 



CHAPTER VII. 

(Page 118-134.) 

CHARACTER OF GRANT HALLECK AND GRANT COMPARED — OPENING OF THE 

MISSISSIPPI ADVANCE TO GRAND JUNCTION COLONEL LEE's RAID — 

GRANT'S ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITY HE ESTABLISHES CONTRABAND CAMPS 

— SEVERITY OF HIS DISCIPLINE — THE COTTON TRADE — ANECDOTE OF 

GRANT — GRANT AND THE JEWS HE REDUCES THE BAGGAGE OF HIS 

ARMY — ADVANCE ON VICKSBURG SURRENDER OF HOLLY SPRINGS 

GRANT FALLS BACK ORGANIZATION OF HIS ARMY SHERMAN'S EXPEDI- 
TION AGAINST VICKSBURG REPULSE OF SHERMAN FULL ACCOUNT OF 

THE FIRST ATTACK ON VICKSBURG CAPTURE OF ARKANSAS TOST GRANT 

DETERMINED TO CAPTURE VICKSBURG HIS TELEGRAM TO HALLECK. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(Page 135— 149.) 

THE PRESIDENT'S EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION GRANT ENFORCES THE 

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT YOUNG'S POINT THE WILLIAMS CANAL 

ROUNDABOUT BAYOU EXPEDITION MOON LAKE — YAZOO PASS EXPEDI- 
TION ADMIRAL FARRAGUT — ADMIRAL PORTER M'cLERNAND's MARCH — 

RUNNING THE BATTERIES — GRIERSON AND HATCIl's RAID — BATTLE OF 

PORT GIBSON GRANT'S FIGHTING APPEARANCE EVACUATION OF GRAND 

GULF — PERPLEXING SITUATION OF GRANT — HIS PLANS DISAPPROVED BY 

THE PRESIDENT AND HALLECK PEMBERTON AND JOHNSTON MARCH 

AGAINST HIM BATTLE OF RAYMOND ADVANCE ON JACKSON PRELIMI- 
NARY MOVEMENTS — GRANT LEADS THE ADVANCE IN PERSON AND ON FOOT. 



14 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IX. 

(Page 150-162.) 

PEMBERTON DECEIVED BY GRANT — DEFEAT OF JOHNSTON — CAPTURE OF 

JACKSON DESTRUCTION OF REBEL PROPERTY JOHNSTON DECEIVED BY 

GRANT MEETING OF SHERMAN, GRANT AND M'PHERSON AT THE STATE 

CAPITAL ADVANCE ON PEMBERTON BATTLE OF CHAMPION HILLS DE- 
TAILS OF THE BATTLE RETREAT OF PEMBERTON — SHERMAN'S OPINION 

OF THE CAMPAIGN GRANT'S REPLY FIRST ASSAULT ON VICKSBURG 

DETAILS OF THE ACTION — THE NAVAL OPERATIONS ON THE RIVER — COM- 
MUNICATION WITH GRANT ESTABLISHED — HAINES' BLUFF SEIZED FOR A 
NEW BASE — PREPARATIONS FOR THE SIEGE. 



CHAPTER X. 

(Page 165-190.) 

SECOND ATTACK ON VICKSBURG FULL ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE — MISUN- 
DERSTANDING BETWEEN GRANT AND m'cLERNAND — POSITION OF THE 

ARMY PEMBERTON'S ADDRESS SHERMAN'S EXPEDITION THE MINES 

AT VICKSBURG TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF A MINE FIGHT IN THE CRA- 
TER — PEMBERTON GIVES UP THE GHOST HIS LETTERS TO GRANT THEIR 

INTERVIEW GRANT'S LETTERS TO PEMBERTON SURRENDER OF THE 

REBEL GARRISON ADVANCE OF THE UNION TROOPS INTO VICKSBURG 

GRANT AT PEMBERTON'S HEAD-QUARTERS IMPORTANCE OF THE SURREN- 
DER OF VICKSBURG LINCOLN'S LETTER TO GRANT. 



CHAPTER XI 

(Page 191—212.) 

PREPARATIONS TO ATTACK JOHNSTON — SURRENDER OF PORT HUDSON — IN- 
VESTMENT OF JACKSON JEFF. DAVIS' LIBRARY JOHNSTON'S ADDRESS 

TO HIS ARMY RETREAT OF THE REBELS GRANT AND THE REBEL 

MAJOR HIS TREATMENT OF SUBORDINATE OFFICERS FRIENDSHIP BE- 
TWEEN GRANT AND SHERMAN MRS. GRANT VISITS HER HUSBAND 

ANECDOTE OF MRS. GRANT GRANT AND HIS SOLDIERS ADMINISTRATIVE 

ABILITY OF GRANT HONORS TO GRANT AT MEMPHIS REVIEW AT FEW 

ORLEANS — TERRIBLE ACCIDENT TO GRANT HE IS APPOINTED TO A NEW 

COMMAND YISITS LOUISVILLE HIS NEW ARMY AND GENERALS BRAGG'S 

FORCES — THE CHATTANOOGA CAMPAIGN. 



CONTENTS. 15 

CHAPTER XII. 

(Page 213-238.) 

CHATTANOOGA — THE UNION ARMY — THE REBEL ARMY — BRAGG's BLUNDER 

WHAT JEFF DAVIS SAID HOOKER'S BATTLE ON THE 28TH OF OCTOBER 

BURNSIDE SHUT UP IN KNOXVILLE HOOKER'S BATTLE ABOVE THE 

CLOUDS — FULL ACCOUNT OF SHERMAN'S ADVANCE — THRILLING BATTLE 
SCENES GENERAL GRANT IN BATTLE DEFEAT OF BRAGG GRANT'S PUR- 
SUIT FIGHT AT RINGGOLD HEROIC CONDUCT OF GRANT WHAT HIS 

STAFF OFFICERS SAY OF HIM SHERMAN REACHES KNOXVILLE DEFEAT 

AND RETREAT OF LONGSTREET END OF THE CHATTANOOGA CAMPAIGN — ' 

CONGRATULATIONS AND REJOICING. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

(Page 239—252.) 

GRANT'S VICTORIES — VOTE OF THANKS BY CONGRESS — BILL TO REVIVE THE 

GRADE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL A MEDAL GIVEN HIM — APPOINTED 

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL AND ASSUMES COMMAND OF THE ARMY — HONORS 
TO GENERAL GRANT — HE RECEIVES VALUABLE PRESENTS — THE OLD SOI- 

DIER'S GIFT GRANT VISITS NASHVILLE AND KNOXVILLE CROSSES THE 

CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS ON HORSEBACK HIS RECEPTION AT LEXINGTON, 

KENTUCKY — VISIT TO LOUISVILLE HONORS AT MEMPHIS A GRAND DIN- 
NER SERENADE TO GRANT, AND HIS SPEECHES GRANT LEAVES THE 

WEST HIS LETTER TO SHERMAN, AND SHERMANS REPLY HIS VISIT TO 

WASHINGTON THE PRESIDENT PRESENTS HIM HIS COMMISSION AS LIEU- 
TENANT-GENERAL. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

(Page 253—269.) 

GRANT IN HIS NEW COMMAND THE REBEL CHIEFTAIN LEE GRANT'S COM- 
BINATIONS ALL READY TO ADVANCE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS 

GALLANTRY OF CRAWFORD — DEATH OF WADSWORTH HANCOCKS FIGHT- 
ING DEATH OF SEDGWICK BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE 

CAPTURE OF A REBEL DIVISION AND TWO REBEL GENERALS BURNSIDES 

BATTLES — FORWARD ALONG THE WHOLE LINE ANECDOTES OF GRANT 

BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR ORDER OF BATTLE— TERRIBLE FIGHTING — 

CROSSING THE JAMES — ASSAULTS ON PETERSBURG— INVESTMENT OF THE 
CITY THE SIEGE BEGUN PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S 1 ETTER TO GRANT 

grant's REPLY. 



1 6 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XV. 

(Page 270-280.) 

8igel relieved hunter in the valley battle on north river 

brilliant success of hunter his defeat near lynchburg — sher- 
idan at deep bottom — he marches to within twelve miles of 
richmond — colonel pleasants' mine — the explosion — success of 

the mine failure of the troops fighting in the crater early's 

advance on washington gregg's attack on the weldon rail- 
road heavy fighting sheridan in the valley — battle of ope- 

quan defeat of sheridan's forces by early sheridan's ride 

he regains the battle grant s praise of sheridan — the presi- 
dent's letter to him he is made a major-general in the regular 

army — Sherman's march to the sea. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

(Page 281-305.) 

THE SITUATION BEGINNING OF THE END ANECDOTES OF GRANT SHER- 
IDAN LOOSE AGAIN INTERVIEW BETWEEN LINCOLN, GRANT, MEADE, 

SHERIDAN, AND SHERMAN ADVANCE OF THE FIFTH CORPS SHERIDAN 

AT FIVE FORKS CAPTURE OF PETERSBURG ADVANCE OF THE ARMY 

THE FIGHTING FALL OF RICHMOND THE REBEL RAMS BLOWN UP — COR- 
RESPONDENCE BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE — SHERIDAN AT THE APPOMAT- 
TOX INTERVIEW BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE TERMS OF SURRENDER 

PROPOSED LEE SURRENDERS HIS ARMY SCENES OF THE SURRENDER 

FORM OF PAROLE — NUMBER OF PRISONERS TAKEN BY GRANT SHERMAN'S 

MOVEMENTS THE END — THE MARCH HOMEWARD REVIEW AT WASHING- 
TON — GRANT TAKES LEAVE OF HIS ARMY — -GRANT AT HOME. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

(Page 306—316.) 

THE GRADE OF GENERAL GRANT COMMISSIONED A GENERAL HIS PERSONAL 

APPEARANCE, HABITS, MANNERS, CONDUCT, AND DRESS GRANT IN BATTLE 

• — HIS MILITARY FAME HIS KINDNESS OF HEART DEATH OF COLONEL 

O'MEARA A PLEASANT LETTER — THE OLD SOLDIER AND GRANT ANEC- 
DOTE OF STANTON AND LINCOLN GRANT'S RELIANCE UPON DIVINE PROVI- 
DENCE HIS TREATMENT OF SUBORDINATE OFFICERS WHAT HE SAID OF 

SHERMAN, THOMAS, SHERIDAN, AND OTHERS ANECDOTE OF GRANT HIS 

JUSTICE — A CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY. 



CONTEXTS. 1 7 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

(Pago 317-32-3.) 

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS' NATIONAL CONVENTION AT CHICAGO THE PROCES- 
SION — THE EAGLE " OLD ABE " THE HALL — THE SCENES — CONVENTION- 
CALLED TO ORDER — GOVERNOR FAIRCHILD TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN — HIS 

SPEECH — THE COMMITTEES — GOVERNOR HAWLEY's SPEECH REMARKS OF 

GENERALS SICKLES, HALSTEAD, AND OTHERS — PERMANENT ORGANIZATION 
GENERAL LOGAN'S REMARKS GRANT* S FATHER HIS SPEECH — AD- 
DRESSES BY GENERAL COCHRANE, MAJOR HAGGERTY, AND o'CONNER— 
COLONEL STOKES, OF TENNESSEE THE RESOLUTIONS — GRANT UNANI- 
MOUSLY NOMINATED BY HIS COMRADES FOR PRESIDENT — GREAT ENTHU- 
SIASM — THE LARGEST DELEGATED CONVENTION EVER ASSEMBLED — AD- 
JOURNMENT OF THE CONVENTION. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

(Page 326— 3 1L) 

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONVENTION AT CHICAGO GENERAL SCHURTZ MADE 

TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN HIS SPEECH PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION 

— THE COMMITTEES— PERMANENT ORGANIZATION SPEECH OF GOVERNOR 

HAWLEY— SOLDIERS RECEIVED ELOQUENT SPEECH BY GOVERNOR FAIR- 
CHILD — SECOND DAY'S PROCEEDINGS THE PLATFORM — ADDITIONAL RES- 
OLUTIONS — logan's speech — general grant unanimously nomi- 
nated — THE VOTE BY STATES — THE ANNOUNCEMENT WILD SCENES IN 

THE CONVENTION THE EFFECT OF THE NOMINATION UPON THE PEOPLE 

NOMINATION OF A VICE-PRESIDENT. 



CHAPTER XX. 

(Page 345— 352.) 

HOW GENERAL GRANT RECEIVED THE NEWS OF HIS NOMINATION — THE EN- 
THUSIASM IN WASHINGTON PROCESSIONS — ADDRESS TO GENERAL GRANT 

BY GOVERNOR BOUTWELL — GRANTS REPLY RECEPTION OF THE SOL- 
DIERS* AND SAILORS' COMMITTEE — PRESENTATION BY COLONEL ALLBMAN 

GRANTS REPLY RECEPTION AT GRANTS RESIDENCE IN THE EYENINO 

— PRESENTATION OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION'S RESOLU- 
TIONS BY GOVERNOR HAWLEY — ABLE SPEECH BY HAWLEY — GENERAL 
GRANT'S REPLY — GRANT FORMALLY ACCEPTS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINA- 
TION — CONCL US ION 

2 



SCHUYLER COLFAX. 



CHAPTER I. 

(Page 355—35(3.) 

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF COLFAX DEATH OF HIS FATHER POVERTY AND 

EARLY STRUGGLES OF THE FAMILY — HIS EDUCATION AND HABITS — HIS 
MOTHER MARRIES MR. MATTHEWS — SCHUYLER A CLERK — THEY REMOVE 
TO INDIANA COLFAX DRIVES A WAGON ACROSS MICHIGAN — HIS STEP- 
FATHER SETTLES AT NEW CARLISLE — COLFAX A CLERK AGAIN — THE 

"STORE AND POST-OFFICE" YOUNG COLFAX AS AN ORACLE — HIS FIRST 

ACQUAINTANCE WITH HON. JOHN D. DEFREES A FRIEND IN NEED GOES 

TO SOUTH BEND — READS LAW — IS DEPUTY COUNTY AUDITOR THE MOOT 

LEGISLATURE — WRITES FOR THE NEWSPAPERS — IS APPOINTED SENATE 
REPORTER — ESTABLISHES TnE VALLEY REGISTER, AND BECOMES AN EDI- 
TOR — HIS POVERTY AND STRUGGLES SUCCEEDS AT LAST HIS POPULARITY 

WITH THE PEOPLE HELPS TO FRAME THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA — 

OPPOSITION TO THE BLACK LAWS IS NOMINATED FOR CONGRESS — HIS 

DEFEAT IS A DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS OF 1S4S AND 

1852, AND VOTES FOR TAYLOR AND SCOTT HIS POLITICS— PURITY OF 

HIS CHARACTER IS RENOMINATED AND TRIUMPHANTLY ELECTED TO CON- 
GRESS — BEGINS HIS LEGISLATIVE CAREER. 



CHAPTER II. 

(Page 366-372.) 

COLFAX AS AN ODD-FELLOW — HIS ENTRANCE INTO CONGRESS — SUPPORTS 

BANKS FOR THE SPEAKERSHIP — HTS FIRST SPEECH IN CONGRESS IS A 

MEMBER OF IMPORTANT COMMITTEES — ENTERS THE PRESIDENTIAL CAM- 
PAIGN OF 1856 — IS RE-ELECTED TO CONGRESS — HIS IMMENSE POPULARITY 

IS ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE XXXVIII CONGRESS — SUPPORTS THE WAR 

— MR. COLFAX'S VIEWS ON THE NATIONAL ENTEEPEISES — HE 8UPPOBTS 

(19) 



20 CONTEXTS. 

LINCOLN— MB. LINCOLN'S FRIENDSHIP FOR HIM— COLFAX ON THE STUMP 

IS AGAIN RE-ELECTED TO CONGRESS — RE-ELECTED SPEAKER OF THE 

XXXIX CONGRESS HIS POPULARITY IN THE HOUSE THE BEST SPEAKER 

SINCE CLAY— REMARKABLE ABILITY OF MR. COLFAX AS A PRESIDING 
OFFICER. 

CHAPTER III. 

(Page 373-388.) 

PERSONAL MANNERS OF MR. COLFAX WHY THE WOMEN LIKE HIM HIS 

WIFB — MR . COLFAX AT HOME — HIS RECEPTIONS — WHY THEY ARE POPU- 
LAR COLFAX AND HIS MOTHER A GOOD SON GRANT AND COLFAX 

EARLY STRUGGLES AND POYERTY OF COLFAX— SUPPER TO HIM BY THE 
PRESS OF WASHINGTON — HIS REMARKS— COLFAX AS A POLITICIAN— HIS 
TALENTS — GRANT SAFE FROM ASSASSINATION IF COLFAX IS VICE-PRESI- 

DENT COLFAXS SPEECHES HIS PIETY COLFAX AT SOUTH BEND — WHAT 

HIS NEIGHBORS THINK OF HIM A TEMPERANCE MAN — HIS LIBERALITY 

AND SUPPORT OF GOOD CAUSES — PERSONAL APPEARANCE — ANECDOTE 

COLFAX IN HIS OFFICE HIS RECORD. 



CHAPTER IV. 

(Page 3S9-402.) 

THE CHICAGO CONVENTION NOMINATIONS FOR VICE-PRESIDENT MR. 

PIERCE'S SPEECH -MR. CLAFLINS SPEECH HON. HENRY LANE'S SPEECH 

SPEECH OF MR. CUTCHESON — REMARKS OF FRED. IIASSAUREK, CARL 

SCHUETZ, JUDGE JONES, ALEXANDER M'CLURE, AND OTHERS HONS. BEN. 

WADE, COLFAX, WILSON, FENTON, HAMLIN, HARLIN, CURTIN, POMEROY 

SPEED, CRESWELL, AND EELLEY NOMINATED FOR VICE-PRESIDENT FIRST 

BALLOT SECOND BALLOT — THIRD BALLOT FOURTH BALLOT FIFTH 

BALLOT — COLFAX DECLARED THE UNANIMOUS NOMINEE OF THE CONVEN- 
TION — THE ENTHUSIASM ADJOURNMENT. 



CHAPTER V. 

(Page 403-411.) 

HOW MR. COLFAX RECEIVED HIS NOMINATION GREETINGS FROM HIS 

BROTHER MEMBERS THE CROWD AT THE CAPITOL SERENADE TO MR. 

COLFAX REPRESENTATIVE PIKe's REMARKS — MR. COLFAX'S SPEECH 

RECEPTION OF THE SOLDIEli's COMMITTEE — THE SPEECHES — RKCEPTION 

OF THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE — SPEECH OF GOVERNOR HAWLEY REPLY 

OF SPEAKER COLFAX — HIS FORMAL LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE GENERAL 

REMARKS — THE END. 



LIFE OF ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



LIFE OF GBANT. 23 



CHAPTER I. 

GRANT'S ANCESTORS HIS PARENTS WHERE AND WHEN HE WAS BORN 

ANECDOTES OF GRANT HIS FIRST PISTOL-SHOT — HE GOES TO SCHOOL AT 

GEORGETOWN WHAT HE SAID TO HIS TEACHER THE BUMBLE-BEE 

FIGHTER — GRANT BUYS A HORSE OF FARMER RALSTON — HE THRASHES 

HIS COUSIN JOHN FOR CALLING WASHINGTON A REBEL MORE ANECDOTES 

ABOUT GRANT — HE SWIMS WHITE OAK CREEK IN A WAGON — HOW HE 
FLANKED THE LOGS — MR. HAMER GETS HIM AN APPOINTMENT TO WEST 
POINT HIS ENTREE INTO THAT INSTITUTION. 

Ulysses S. Grant was born on the banks of the Ohio, 
about twenty-five miles above Cincinnati, at the village of 
Point Pleasant, in the county of Clermont, on the 27th day 
of April, 1822. In this country it is of little consequence 
who a man's ancestors were, or whether, in fact, he had any 
at all; but as a matter of gratification to the curious, it may 
be recorded that Grant's great grandfather, Noah Grant, 
commanded a company of white and black men, in 1756, 
and fell at the battle of White Plains, as also did his brother, 
Solomon Grant. The General's grandfather was a lieuten- 
ant under Washington, and fought from the beginning to the 
close of the Revolutionary War. The father of General 
Grant was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 
January 23, 1794, and is still living at Covington, Kentucky. 
He learned the tanning business with his half-brother, at 
Maysville, Kentucky, and in 1820 settled at Point Pleasant, 
Ohio, where he set up his trade, and soon afterward married 
Miss Hannah Simpson, the mother of General Grant, who 
is still living. 

Grant had five brothers and sisters. One brother and one 



24 LIFE OF GRANT. 

sister, both single, died of consumption during the late war; 
Df the others, a brother lives in Chicago, another in Galena, 
and the younger sister at Covington, with her father. Many 
stories are told of the precociousness of Ulysses, and his 
father thinks Grant was a great little boy; indeed, he would 
be a poor father if he did not~but remembering the fate of 
our bee- fighter, we hesitate about relating these anecdotes. 
Reid is responsible for the following : 

"The absence of fear was always a characteristic of 
Ulysses. When two years of age, while Mr. Grant was 
carrying Ulysses in his arms through the village on a public 
occasion, a young man wished to try the effect of a pistol 
report on the child; Mr. Grant consented, saying, 'The boy 
never saw a pistol or gun before in his life.' 

"The baby hand was put on the lock, and the tiny finger 
curled around the trigger and pressed upon it until the 
hammer fell, and the charge exploded with a loud report. 
Ulysses hardly stirred, but delighted with the loud noise the 
powder had made, pushed the pistol away, and, clapping his 
hands, cried, 'fick again; fick again.' A bystander said, 
'That boy will make a general some day, he neither winked 
nor dodged.' None will question but that the prediction 
has been verified ; and this man, if living, can safely claim 
precedence over Mr. "Washburn e in having discovered the 
military talents of General Grant." 

While Grant was still a lad, his parents, who were then 
living at Georgetown, in Brown County, Ohio, sent him to 
the village school, and from all we can learn, the future con- 
queror was considered a dull boy ; but Larke tells the fol- 
lowing anecdote of him during this period: 

" One day Grant was puzzling his brains over a sum in 
arithmetic, when the teacher came along, and seeing his 
perplexed look, said to him, kindly : 

"'Well, Ulysses, can't you master it?' 



LIFE OF GRANT. 25 

" ' Can't !' returned Grant, ' what does that mean?' 

"'Why, why, when we can't do a thing, we say we can't," 
replied the teacher. The class had been studying definitions, 
and Grant took up his dictionary, and after looking through 
it for some time, said, 'I can't find it; there is no such 
word in my book.' The teacher was so struck with the 
boy's reply, that he commended him for it, and wound up 
by saying, 'You are quite right, Ulysses, and if, in the fu- 
ture struggles of your life, any one asserts that you can't 
do a thing that you have set your mind to do, and which 
is lawful and right, tell them, as you have me to-day, that 
there is no such word in your dictionary.' It is said, that 
Grant never forgot the lesson of his instructor, and that his 
reply to Pemberton and Lee, was only his old answer to his 
teacher, in another form." 

Abbott tells the following story about Grant: "When 
Ulysses was twelve years old his father sent him to a neigh- 
boring farmer to buy a horse which he had been bargaining 
for. Before Ulysses started, his father said to him : 

" 'You can tell Mr. Ralston that T have sent you to buy 
the horse, and that I will give him $50 for it. If he will 
not take that, you may offer him $55, and rather than come 
away without him, give Mr. Ralston $60 for the horse.' 

"Ulysses, getting the matter right in his mind, set out, 
but on arriving at Mr. Ralston's, his plans for bartering 
were knocked out of balance by Mr. Ralston asking him 
directly, ' How much did your father say you might give 
for the horse ?' 

" Grant's mother had told him he must never tell a lie, 
and believing it would be wrong to prevaricate in this case, 
he replied : 

'"Father told me to offer you $50; if that would not do, 
to give you $55, and that he would be willing to give $60 
rather than not get the horse.' 'Well,' replied farmer 



tr 



26 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Ralston, 'I can not sell the horse for less than sixty dol- 
lars/ *I am sorry for that,' was the rejoinder of young 
Grant, ' for since I have seen the horse, although father 
said I might, I have determined not to give more than $50 
for him.' 

" Mr. Ralston took the fifty dollars and Grant rode the 
horse home." 

Mr. Grant had a brother who had settled in Canada, and 
as there was no school in the neighborhood, he sent his son 
John over to Georgetown to board with his uncle and go 
to school with Ulysses. The Canadian youth was strongly 
tinctured with British prejudices, and one day the conver- 
sation turned upon Washington, when John denounced the 
father of his country as "a rebel who had fought against 
his king." 

Ulysses had been taught by his mother to revere the 
character of Washington, and was indignant at the irrever- 
ent language of his cousin. The boys soon came to blows, 
and after pulling hair and pummeling each other for some 
time, Jack came off with a bloody nose and Ulysses with a 
black eye. On reaching home, Mrs. Grant desired to have 
her boy punished for fighting, and called in his father, but 
after hearing the case, the old gentleman said, "Wife, I tell 
thee the boy must not be whipped, he has done nothing but 
stand up for his country, and no boy should be punished 
for fighting in defense of his native land, and Washington." 

Years after this, when the boys had grown to be men, 
they met in Canada, and John said to Ulysses, " Do you 
remember the thrashing you gave me for calling Washington 
a rebel?" 

"Yes," replied Ulysses, "and you can get a fight out of 
me again, John, on that question." 

Grant's father tells us, that in his early boyhood, Ulys- 
ses manifested the same fondness for horses that is still 



LIFE OF GRANT. '27 

characteristic of him. He was always sure to go to the 
circuses that came around, and invariably volunteered to 
ride the vicious mule — sometime succeeding, despite the 
animal's tricks, to the no small amusement of the spectators 
and annoyance of the showman. He imitated the circus 
men, riding the horses to water, standing on their backs, 
and thus became a proficient horseman long before he en- 
tered West Point. 

Young Grant was fond of driving horses, and frequently 
hauled loads of passengers from Georgetown to the neigh- 
boring villages and back. He would always rather drive 
team than work in the tannery of his father, and from the 
first seemed determined never to be a tanner. 

Grant was a brave lad, and early manifested an indomi- 
table will. His father relates the following anecdote of 
him : 

"One day Ulysses was coming from Augusta, Ky., to 
Georgetown, with some young ladies in his wagon. It had 
been raining, and the water in the Ohio had backed into 
the tributary streams. Grant's route lay across White Oak 
Creek, and, not knowing the depth of the water, he drove 
in, when the wagon went down and the horses commenced 
swimming. The young ladies were terribly frightened, and 
commenced screaming, thinking they would surely all be 
drowned; but Grant, with great presence of mind, steered 
his horses toward the opposite bank, saying, coolly, ' Keep 
still, girls ; I will take you through safe.' Ulysses was only 
about thirteen years old when this happened." 

One day Ulysses was sent to the woods to haul some 
logs, when, finding the choppers gone, he hitched a horse 
to the logs, and dragging them to a tree that had fallen 
partly down, drew them up the slanting tree, and then back- 
ing the wagon under, pulled them over into the bed. This 
was considerable of a flank movement for a lad of fourteen. 



28 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Ulysses one day said to his father, when they were work- 
ing together in the tannery: "Father, this tannery business 
is not the kind of work I like. I will work at it, to please 
you, until I am twenty-one, but I will never follow it another 
day after that." 

Mr. Grant, with great good sense, said: "No, my son; 
I do not wish you to work at any thing that is distasteful to 
you. I want you to work at what you like, and stick to it. 
Now, what do you think you would like to do?" 

"I would like to be a farmer, a down the river trader, 
or get an education," replied Ulysses. 

"How would you like to go to West Point and learn to 
be a soldier V said his father. 

" First rate," answered Ulysses, " that would suit me ex- 
actly." 

Mr. Grant immediately wrote to Mr. Morris, then a 
Senator in Congress from Ohio, asking him if there was any 
vacancy at West Point which he could control. Senator 
Morris replied at once that there was a vacancy from the 
congressional district in which Mr. Grant lived — the young 
man who had been appointed having failed to pass his ex- 
amination. Mr. Grant wrote to Hon. Thomas L. Hamer, 
the Representative then in Congress from the district, ask- 
ing him to appoint his son Ulysses. Mr. Hamer received 
the letter the night before his term expired, and at once 
appointed young Grant. 

Grant's right name was Hiram Ulysses, but as his father, 
in his letter, only called him Ulysses, and Mr. Hamer 
knowing his mother's name was Simpson, wrote it Ulysses 
Simpson Grant, and as such the letter of appointment was 
issued to him from the War Department, and the authori- 
ties would never afterward change it. 

Grant entered West Point in the spring of 1839, at the 
age of seventeen. 



LIFE OF BRANT. 29 



CHAPTER II. 

GRAXT AS A CADET AT WEST POIXT HIS PROGRESS IN THE CLASSES HE 

GRADUATES NO. 21 IX A CLASS OF THIRTY-XIXE — WHO GRADUATED IX 
GRAXT'S CLASS, AXD WHAT BECAME OP THEM — WHAT GRAXT LOOKED 

LIKE WnEX HE LEFT WEST POIXT AXECDOTE OF THE HERO HE FALLS 

IX LOVE WITH MISS JULIA DEXT — IS ORDERED OFF TO MEXICO — PARTICI- 
PATES IX THE BATTLES OF PALO ALTO AXD RESACA DE LA PALMA IS 

APPOIXTED QUARTERMASTER — DISTIXGUISHES HIMSELF AT CHEPULTE- 

PEC — WHAT THE OFFICIAL REPORTS SAY OF HIM HIS OLD COMRADES IX 

MEXICO, AXD WHAT BECAME OF THEM RETURXS FROM THE MEXICAX WAR 

AXD MARRIES. 

The life of a "plebe" at West Point is, to say the least 
v{ it, not pleasant. The brutal practices indulged in by the 
older students have long been a matter of terror to young 
men joining the academy, and he who expects to avoid the 
mischievous jokes of the seniors reckons without his host. 
The predecessor of Grant having failed to pass the requisite 
examination, our young hero reached the Point full of fears 
and misgivings as to his ability to go through the ordeal of 
the board. He knew his opportunities had been poor, that 
he possessed little knowledge, and, the more he thought over 
it, the more probable seemed his rejection. 

While he was racked with the horrible feelings of suspense 
his tormentors began. The first night Grant was at the Point 
a cadet, dressed as an officer, entered his room, and, after 
some conversation, gave him a lesson of twenty pages of 
printed matter to commit to memory by morning. Ulysses 
dove into it, but soon gave up in despair, and retired to bed, 
while other boys sat up all night endeavoring to master their 



30 LIFE OF GRANT. 

hard tasks. After a sleepless night the boys were surprised, 
the next morning, to find that the lesson was not called for, 
and, as the day wore on, they began to suspect they had 
been made the victims of a joke. The sight of these youths, 
book in hand, waiting nervously for hours until the professors 
should summon them to recitation, must, indeed, have been 
amusing to the older students. 

Grant passed a fair examination, but not so good as the 
boys from the large towns and cities, who had enjoyed better 
school advantages. The General is now the head of the 
army, and, as such, the "Father of the Point;" and let us 
here ask him to remember, sometimes, the days when he was 
young Ulysses, and, when a poor country youth fails to pass 
his first examination, give him another chance, just for the 
sake of the days of "auld lang syne." 

Grant entered the fourth class of 1839, and, during the 
year, studied English grammar, rhetoric, mathematics, geog- 
raphy, composition, declamation, French, and tactics. He 
made good progress, but was not brilliant. 

As is well known, the cadets have to camp out during part 
of the year, and go through all the mock usages of camp life 
in time of war. Ulysses seems to have liked this as the best 
part of his cadet experience, and it is said he always pre- 
ferred the tents on the field to quarters in the barracks. 

During 1840, our young soldier entered the third class, 
where he studied cavalry tactics, and continued the other 
studies of the fourth class. The only thing that can be said 
of him during this year is that he showed considerable pluck 
and pertinacity of purpose. He had entered the class low 
down, and, after holding on steadily for awhile, advanced a 
file, and soon another, always holding on to what he got. 
There were several young men in the class who were more 
brilliant than Grant, but hardly one except him who did 
not fluctuate, sometimes advancing, and then falling back 



LIFE OF GRANT. 31 

again. At the close of this year he was commissioned a 
corporal. 

In 1841, he entered the second class, and studied experi- 
mental philosophy, chemistry, drawing, horsemanship, in- 
fantry and artillery tactics, and rose to the high dignity of a 
sergeant of cadets. 

An officer, who was at that time a member of the Military 
Academy, thus describes Grant : 

"I remember him well. He was a small, tiny-looking little 
fellow, with an independent air about him, and a good deal of 
determination. It is a long time ago, but when I recall old 
scenes I can still see Grant, with his overalls strapped down 
on his boots, standing in front of the quarters. It seems as 
though it were but yesterday that I saw him going to the 
riding hall, with his spurs clanging on the ground, and his 
great cavalry sword dangling by his side. It is twenty-seven 
years since, and I am growing old now, but it is wonderful 
what a short time it seems since I was a young man, and saw 
the famous soldier, then a mere stripling lad, at the Point." 

During 1842, Grant entered the first class of the Military 
Academy, and took rank as a commissioned officer of cadets. 
He commanded sometimes a section of a battery, sometimes 
a troop, and then, again, a company of foot, and seems to 
have been well liked and respected by those who served under 
him. All the cadets still living of Grant's company agree that 
he was a fair, upright, and kind-hearted young man, never 
playing the petty tyrant or acting the spy on his subordi- 
nates, as young cadets who find themselves for the first time 
dressed in a little brief authority too often do. His studies, 
during this year, were laborious and difficult, including eth- 
ics, constitutional law, international law, military law, and 
practical, civil, and military engineering. In the fall ho 
camped out again with his company, and, although a pretty 
strict officer while on duty, he seems to have been a jolly 



32 LIFE OF GRANT. 

fellow round the camp-fire, and much liked hy his comrades. 
During his last year, Grant made an effort to obtain some 
knowledge of the science of mineralogy and geology, and 
the Spanish language, but he made only tolerable progress. 

On the 30th day of June, 1843, Grant passed his final 
examination, and graduated from the Military Academy in 
a class of thirty-nine, standing No. 21, or about the middle 
of the class. 

It is said that the companions of a man's youth nearly 
always exercise a controlling influence over his after life, 
and, if his fortunes be great, are sure to share with him his 
honors and authority. In this view of the case we ought, 
perhaps, to state who Grant's comrades were, where they 
are, and, if still living, what they are now doing. 

The names of the young men who graduated at the Mil- 
itary Academy, in 1843, in the class with Grant, were: 

1. William B. Franklin; 2. George Deshon; 3. Thomas 
Brereton ; 4. John H. Grelaud; 5. W. P. Raynolds (not 
Reynolds); 6. Isaac F. Quimby; 7. Itoswell S. Ripley; S. 
John J. Peck; 9. John P. Johnstone; 10. Joseph J. Rey- 
nolds. The name of the next graduate does not appear. 

11. James A. Bardie : 12. Henry F. Clarke; 13. 

Booker; 14. Samuel G. French; 15. Theodore L. Chad- 
bourne; 16. Christopher C. Auger; 17. Franklin Gardner; 
18. George Stevens; 19. Edward B. Holloway; 20. Louis 
Neill; 21. Ulysses S. Grant; 22. Joseph II. Potter; 23. 
Robert Hazlitt; 24. Boyer Wood; 25. William K. Van 
Bokelen. The next four graduates do not appear. 30. 
Frederick Steele; 31. Henry R. Selden; 32. Rufus Ingalls; 
33. Frederick T. Dent; 34. J. C. McFerran; 35. Henry 
M. Judah; 36. Norman Elting; 37. Cave J. Gouts; 38. 
Charles G. Merchant; 39. George C. McClelland. 

Of these men, Deshon was assistant professor in the 
Military Academy for two years, and when he resigned, in 



LIFE OF GRANT. 33 

1851, was ordnance officer at Alleghany Arsenal, Pennsyl- 
vania. He was somewhat noted for having resigned his 
commission in the army to become a Roman Catholic priest. 
Brereton was brevetted for gallant conduct in the Mexican 
War, and resigned after a continuous and highly honorable 
service of over fifteen years. Grelaud died a captain in the 
Fourth Artillery, at Fort Meyers, Florida, in 1857. 

Franklin entered the Topographical Engineers, fought 
through the Mexican War, became a major-general under 
Grant, and is now living in civil life. Raynolds entered the 
infantry, was a colonel on the staff of Fremont during the 
war, and, we believe, is now dead. Quimby entered the 
artillery, was a professor at West Point, resigned, and 
retired to civil life, but, at the beginning of the war, re- 
entered the army, was a brigadier-general in the x\rmy of- 
the Potomac, and is now in civil life. Ripley entered the 
artillery, fought in the Mexican war, wrote a book to injure 
General Scott, resigned before the late war, and, at the 
opening of hostilities, joined the rebel army. Peck entered 
the artillery, resigned, reentered the army in 1861, was a 
major-general in the Army of the James, and is now in civil 
life. J. J. Reynolds was a professor at the Point, became 
noted for his knowledge of the sciences, resigned before 
the war, reentered the service in 18(31, became a major- 
general, and is now colonel of the Twenty-sixth Infantry, 
and is commanding in Texas. He is an able man, and fit 
for any position in the Government. Johnstone entered the 
artillery, was a gallant officer in Mexico, and fell at Con- 
treras. Hardie entered the artillery, became an assistant 
adjutant-general in the War Department, and is now a 
colonel in the inspector-general's department, and lives in 
Washington. Clarke entered the artillery, served with 
distinction in Mexico, served through the war in the Army 
of the Potomac as a commissary, and is now a lieutcnant- 
3 



34 LIFE OF GRANT. 

colonel in the subsistence department, and lives in Washing- 
ton. Booker, who stood thirteenth on the list of graduates, 
in 1843, died, while a lieutenant, at San Antonio, Texas, 
June 26, 1849. French, though a native of New Jersey, 
deserted the United States Army, in 1861, entered the 
rebellion, and became a major-general. He was an able 
man, and we think is now dead. Chadbourne was killed in 
the battle of Resaca de la Palma, May 9, 1846, and was 
distinguished for his bravery and coolness. Gardner, a 
native of New York, deserted the United States Army in 
1861, and joined the rebellion. He became a Confederate 
major-general, and surrendered at Port Hudson, July 9, 
1863. The last time we saw Franklin, he was standing in 
the St. Charles Hotel, at New Orleans, looking bloated and 
very seedy, and we presume, if Louisiana rum hasn't killed 
him, he is still living. Auger entered the Second Infantry, 
became a major-general, commanded the Department of 
Washington for a long time, is colonel of the Twelfth 
Infantry, and serving with his regiment in the West. 
Stevens was drowned, in the passage of the Rio Grande, 
May, 1846. Holloway, of Kentucky, fought through the 
Mexican War, and distinguished himself at Contreras ; he 
was captain of infantry at the beginning of the war, threw 
up his commission and joined the rebellion. Neill, who 
stood just above Grant on the list of graduates, died, January 
13, 1850, while in service at Fort Crogham, Texas. Potter, 
who stood next after Grant, entered the Second Infantry, 
was a brigadier-general during the war, is now a lieutenant- 
colonel of the Thirteenth Infantry, and serving with his 
regiment. Hazlitt was killed at the storming of Monterey, 
"September 21, 1846. Lieutenant Edwin Howe, of whom 
we find some account as graduating in 1843, in the class with 
Grant, and who died at Fort Leavenworth, March 31, 1850, 
was probably one of the officers whose names we have failed 



LIFE OF GRANT. 3o 

to find on the rolls, and stood twenty- six or twenty-seven. 
Wood left the army several years before the rebellion, but 
is, we believe, still living. He was from Virginia. The 
name of Charles S. Hamilton also appears on the list of 
graduates in 1843, after Woods ; he is probably one of the 
officers whose names are missing on the rolls of the army, 
and, it is likely, never entered the service ; he stood twenty- 
eight or twenty -nine on the list, was a major-general of 
volunteers, under Grant, commanded for a time a district in 
Tennessee, resigned, and is in civil life. Bokelen was a 
native of New York, but was cashiered for embezzling two 
hundred and twenty-five dollars public funds, and for rebel 
proclivities. The name of Alfred St. Amand de Crozet, of 
New York, appears as a graduate in the class of 1843 ; he 
died at the Spencer House, in Cincinnati, April 23, 1855, 
a first lieutenant in the Eighth United States Infantry. 
Charles E. James also appears among the graduates of 
1843 ; he died at Sonora, California, June 8, 1849. Steele, 
the thirtieth graduate with Grant, entered the Second 
Infantry, was a major at the beginning of the war, became 
a major-general under Grant, was with him at Yicksburg, 
and in the Mississippi campaigns, as a division commander ; 
afterward commanded in Arkansas, was appointed colonel 
of the Twentieth Infantry when the army was reorgan- 
ized, and died a month or two since in California. He was 
an able and gallant officer, and much beloved and trusted by 
the General of the army. Selden entered the infantry, and 
was afterward a captain in the Fifth Regiment, but is not 
now in the service, nor is it known what became of him. 
Ingalls entered the rifles, was a mnjor-general during the 
war, and quartermaster-general of the Army of the Potomac; 
lie is now a colonel in the Quartermaster's Department, and 
lives in Washington. Dent entered the Fourth Infantry, 
served in Mexico, was a brigadier-general during the war, 



36 LIFE OF GRANT. 

is now major of the Fourteenth Infantry, and on the staff 
of General Grant, who married his sister. McFerran entered 
the Third Infantry, was a quartermaster during the war, is 
now a lieutenant-colonel in the Quartermaster's Depart- 
ment, and lives at Washington. Judah entered the infantry, 
was a brigadier-general during the war, and commanded a 
division of the Twenty-third Army Corps, in Kentucky, for 
some time; he is now dead. Elting resigned the service 
October 29, 1846; it is not known whether he is living or 
dead. Couts resigned soon after graduating, and, in the 
year 1849, was a member of the California State Constitu- 
tional Convention ; it is not known whether he is living or 
dead. Merchant resigned soon after graduating, and, we 
believe, is still living in New York city. George C. Mc- 
Clelland, of Pennsylvania, was the last graduate, and is 
not now in service. 

It is interesting to look over the list and see how the 
twenty-first graduate has outstripped all the rest; and when 
we remember that their chances in the race of life were 
equal, if not better than his, we can not but believe that it 
was true talent, and not accident, which brought Grant to 
the front, and gave him command over his thirty-eight 
associates. 

Professor Coppee, in his history of the rebellion, thus 
describes Grant at the time he lefD the Military Academy, 
in 1843. He says : 

"I had the honor of being Grant's comrade at West Point 
for two years. I remember him as a plain, straightforward, 
common-sense youth ; quiet, rather of the old-head-on-young- 
shoulders order ; shunning notoriety ; quite contented while 
others were grumbling; taking to his military duties in a 
very business-like manner; not a prominent man in the 
corps, but respected by all, and very popular with his friends. 
His sobriquet of ' Uncle Sam,' where every good fellow has 



LIFE OF GRANT. 37 

a nickname, came from these very qualities ; indeed, lie 
was a very Uncle Sam-like sort of a youth. He was then, 
and always, an excellent horseman, and his picture rises 
before me as I write, in an old torn coat, obsolescent, leather, 
gig-top, loose riding pantaloons. He exhibited little enthu- 
siasm in any thing. His best standing was in the mathemat- 
ical branches and their applications to tactics and military 
engineering." 

A story is told of Grant during his cadet life which is 
worth repeating here, as it is characteristic of the man. 
The persecutions of his seniors were very annoying to him, 
and Grant believing them no longer tolerable, had made up 
his mind to fight. One day when the company was on mock- 
parade, the captain put some insult uffon him, when Grant 
stepped suddenly out of the ranks, pulled off his jacket, and 
said : 

"Now, captain, if you think you are as good a man as 
I am, pull off your coat and fight me." 

The captain doffed his jacket, and at it they went. Grant 
was the smaller of the two, but he got the captain down 
and pummeled him until he cried enough. 

"Now," said Grant, going up to the lieutenant, "you 
have been imposing on me, too, and I want a settlement with 
you." 

Such a challenge* was not to be declined, and the lieu- 
tenant pitched into him, but Grant knocked him down and 
thrashed him soundly, and then turning to the company, 
said : 

"Who comes next? I want peace, and I am going to have 
it, if I have to lick the whole company." 

At this his comrades set up a shout, and the captain 
coming up to him, said : " You'll do ; I guess they won't 
bother you any more, Grant.''' 

For a long time after this occurrence, Grant was known 



38 LIFE OF GRANT. 

at the Point as "Company Grant." The plucky little fel- 
low had rid himself of his tormentors, the hoys never after- 
ward attempting to run any of their jokes on him. 

When Grant left the Military Academy, he took the ac- 
customed three months' leave of absence granted to graduates, 
and on the 1st day of July, 1843, was gazetted for the Fourth 
Infantry, and attached to that regiment by brevet. In the 
fall of the year, he joined his regiment, then stationed at 
Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. Among the young officers 
who graduated with Grant, and who were assigned to the 
Fourth Infantry, was his class-mate, Frederick Dent. Dent's 
parents lived about four miles from the barracks, and as he 
and Grant had been quite intimate at the Point, it was but 
natural that he should invite his young friend to visit his home. 
Here it was Grant saw, for the first time, the good woman 
who is now his wife; he soon won the girlish heart of Julia 
Dent, and they became engaged, but the rising troubles in 
Mexico caused them to postpone their marriage, and Grant 
was soon afterward ordered oif with his regiment. The 
leaving of a sweetheart behind is a thing that often hap- 
pens to officers in the army, and is about the hardest thing 
in all nature. Often have we seen a pale Hamlet stalking 
through our camp, with an order for the frontier in his 
pocket, and we have never failed, if it were possible, to give 
the poor fellow a short respite from his torments. Talk of 
sickness in the family, the death of a father; these things 
are as nothing when compared with the great grief that tears 
a fond fellow from a pair of loving arms. Having had some 
experience in such matters, we presume that Grant's feel- 
ings were any thing but comfortable when leaving his Julia, 
to take the chances of getting his head knocked off in 
Mexico. 

The Mexicans and Americans had for some time held 
imaginary boundary lines in Texas, and the disputes daily 



LIFE OF (IRANI. 39 

arising between the settlers had at last broken out into open 
war. Corpus Christi had been seized by General Taylor, as 
a base of operations, and thither the Fourth Infantry was 
hurried. While stationed at this place, Grant received his 
full commission as second lieutenant in the Seventh In- 
fantry, which bears date of September 80th, 1845, but hav- 
ing become attached to the officers of the Fourth, he 
determined to wait for a vacancy in his own regiment, and 
declined to accept the position tendered him in the Seventh 
Regiment. He had not long, however, to wait, for, on the 
19th of November, 1845, his commission reached him as full 
second lieutenant in the Fourth Infantry. 

War had not yet been formally declared by Congress 
against Mexico, but the matter was considered settled ; and 
General Taylor, hearing that a large force of Mexicans was 
marching toward the Rio Grande, with the avowed inten- 
tion of crossing over, and driving the American settlers 
out of Texas, he hastened to meet them, but learning that 
Fort Brown had been besieged, he changed his route, and 
marched to the relief of the garrison. In Taylor's command 
was the Fourth Infantry, and, among others toiling along on 
foot through the dreary sand, and thinking day and night 
of his sweetheart in the far-off States, was a love-sick lieu- 
tenant, named Ulysses Grant. 

On the 8th day of May, 1846, the Mexican and American 
forces met in battle at Palo Alto, and here, for the first 
time, Grant smelt powder and saw war. No mention is 
made of him in any of the official reports ; but his com- 
panions say he did well, and won the good opinion of his 
superiors. Next day Taylor followed up the Mexicans to 
Resaca de la Palma, and fought a battle, completely routing 
the enemy. Here again we find no official mention made 
of Grant ; but his comrades say he behaved with great 
gallantry. 



40 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The Mexicans, in full retreat, rushed pell-mell over the 
Rio Grande, -while General Taylor marched up the river, 
crossed over into the republic of New Leon, and moved 
against Monterey. Meanwhile, General Scott had arrived 
at Vera Cruz, and ordered a portion of the forces on the Rio 
Grande to cooperate with him. Among the regiments sent 
down was the Fourth Infantry, and Grant with it participated 
in the siege of Vera Cruz, which surrendered to the Ameri- 
can forces on the 29th day of March, 1847. 

The quartermaster, commissary and adjutant of a regiment 
are always selected by the commanding officer from the most 
intelligent, energetic, trusty, and best young officers in the 
regiment ; and Grant must already have obtained con- 
siderable standing, and attracted the notice of his superiors, 
for in April, 1847, he was appointed quartermaster of the 
Four tli Infantry. 

As a usual thing, quartermasters do not fight much, but 
Grant seems to have been an exception to the general rule ; 
for he participated in all the battles in which his regiment 
was engaged. * At the battle of Chepultepec, on the 13th of 
September, 1847, he behaved with distinguished gallantry, 
being appointed a first lieutenant and a brevet captain, to 
date from the day of the battle. In his report, Captain 
Horace Brooks, who commanded a battery of the Second 
Artillery in the battle, says : 

"I succeeded in reaching the fort with a few men. Here 
Lieutenant IT. S. Grant with a few more men of the Fourth 
Infantry, found me, and by a joint movement, after an ob- 
stinate resistance, a strong field work was carried, and the 
enemy's right completely turned." 

.The official report of Major Francis Lee, commanding 
the Fourth Infantry in the battle of Chepultepec, contains 
this paragraph : 

"At the first barrier the enemy was in strong force, which 



LIFE OF GRANT. 41 

rendered it necessary to advance with caution. This was 
done ; and -when the head of the battalion was within short 
musket rano-e of the barrier, Lieutenant Grant, Fourth In- 
fantry, and Captain Brooks, Second Artillery, with a few- 
men of their respective regiments, by a handsome movement 
to the left, turned the right flank of the enemy, and the 
barrier was carried." And he mentions Lieutenant Grant 
as " among the most distinguished for his zeal and activity," 
and as "behaving with great gallantry on both the 13th and 
the 14th." Brevet Colonel John Garland, Grant's brigade 
commander, in his report of the battle of Chepul tepee, says : 

M The rear of the enemy had made a stand behind a 
breastwork from which they were driven by detachments 
of the Second Artillery, under Captain Brooks, and the 
Fourth Infantry, under Lieutenant Ulysses Grant, supported 
by other regiments of the division. The conflict was sharp 

but decisive I recognized the command as it 

came up, mounted a howitzer on the top of a convent, 
which, under the direction of Lieutenant Grant, quarter- 
master of the Fourth Infantry, and Lieutenant Lendrum, 
of the Third Artillery, annoyed the enemy considerably." 
... In closing his report, Colonel Garland says : "I must 
not omit to call attention to Lieutenant Grant, Fourth In- 
fantry, who acquitted himself most nobly upon several occa- 
sions under my own observation." 

In this report General Garland makes particular mention 
of only two officers besides his own staff, and these are Lieu- 
tenant Grant and Captain Brooks. General Worth, in his 
report of the operations of the army on the lGth of Sep- 
tember, speaks highly of Lieutenant Grant, but the extract 
is too long to insert here. 

Grant participated in sixteen battles in Mexico, and at tho 
close of the war returned to St. Louis with his regiment, 
and in 1848 was married to Miss Julia S. Dent. 



42 LIFE OF Gil ANT. 

We must now turn aside again from the straight path of 
our narrative to make some mention of the men who were 
General Grant's comrades in Mexico. The roster of his 
regiment, the Fourth Infantry, stood at that time as fol- 
lows : 

Lieutenant-Colonel John Garland, commanding the regi- 
ment and brigade ; brevetted colonel for Resaca de la Palma ; 
brevetted brigadier for Cherubusco ; severely wounded in the 
capture of Mexico City; made colonel of the Eighth Regular 
Infantry, May, 1848, and died in the city of New York, 
June 5, 1861. 

Major Francis Lee, brevetted lieutenant- colonel for Cher- 
ubusco ; brevetted colonel for Molino del Rey ; appointed 
colonel of Second Regiment Infantry, October 18, 1855, 
and died at St. Louis, Missouri, January 19, 1859. 

Captain George W. Allen, brevetted major for Florida 
war; brevetted lieutenant-colonel for Resaca de la Palma; 
appointed major Second United States Infantry, and died at 
Vera Cruz, March 15, 1848. 

John Page, mortally wounded in first battle of Palo Alto, 
and died July 12, 1846. 

William M. Graham, brevetted major for Florida war; 
promoted major Second United States Infantry, February 
16, 1847; appointed lieutenant-colonel Eleventh Infantry; 
wounded three times in Mexico ; killed at Molino del Rey, 
September 8, 1847. 

Pitcairn Morrison, brevetted major for Resaca de la 
Palma; promoted major Eighth United States Infantry, 
September 26, 1847 ; promoted lieutenant-colonel Seventh 
Infantry, June 9, 1853; promoted colonel Eighth Infantry, 
June 6, 1861; retired from active service, October 20, 1863; 
still living, but over seventy years old. 

George A. McCall, brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel 
for Resaca de la Palma; appointed in the Inspector-General's 



LIFE OF GRANT. 43 

Department, with the rank of major; resigned April 29, 
1853; reentered service April, 1861; appointed brigadier- 
general, May 17, 1861; appointed major-general, and as- 
signed to command of Pennsylvania Reserve Regiments ; 
resigned March 31, 1863; died about two months ago in 
Pennsylvania. 

Gouverneur Morris, brevetted major for Resaca de la 
Palm a; promoted major Third Infantry, January 31, 1850; 
promoted lieutenant-colonel First Infantry, 1857; retired 
from active service, September 9, 1861; still living, but very 
old and feeble. 

R. C. Buchanan, brevetted major for Resaca de la Palma; 
brevetted lieutenant-colonel for Molino del Rey; appointed 
acting inspector-general, 1848; promoted major Fourth In- 
fantry, September 9, 1851 ; appointed lieutenant-colonel 
Fourth Infantry, September 9, 1851; appointed brigadier, 
May, 1861, but was too old to take the field; promoted col- 
onel First Regular Infantry, February 8, 1864; is still liv- 
ing, and at present in command of the Fifth District, in 
place of General Hancock, relieved. 

Charles II. Earned, brevetted major for Resaca de la 
Palma; drowned in Puget's Sound, near Fort Madison, 
Washington Territory, March 27, 1854. 

Benjamin Alvord, brevetted captain for Resaca de la 
Palma; brevetted major for National Bridge; appointed 
paymaster, with rank of major, June 22, 1854; appointed 
brigadier-general volunteers, 1863; appointed brevet major- 
general in the regular army, April 9, 1865; at present a 
major in the Paymaster's Department, and lives in Wash- 
ington. 

Henry L. Scott, appointed aid-de-camp and assistant 
adjutant-general on General Scott's staff, 1847; brevetted 
major for Cherubusco ; brevetted lieutenant-colonel for Che- 
pultepec; appointed special aid to General Scott, March 7, 



44 LIFE OF GRANT. 

1855; retired from service, October 30, 1861, and died about 
two years ago in New York City. 

First Lieutenant Henry Prince, adjutant of the Fourth 
Infantry, 1846; bre Vetted captain for Cherubusco; severely 
wounded, and brevetted major for Molino del Rey; ap- 
pointed paymaster, May 23, 1855; appointed brigadier- 
general volunteers, April 28, 1882; commanded a division 
Twenty-third Army Corps, during the rebellion; brevetted 
a brigadier in the regular army, March 13, 1865 ; is at 
present a major in the Pay Department, and lives in 
Washington. 

Charles Haskins, at one time adjutant Fourth Infantry; 
killed at Monterey, September 21, 1846. 

Richard Graham, mortally wounded at the battle of Mon- 
terey, September 21, 1846, and died October 12, 1846. 

John H. Gore, brevetted captain for Cherubusco; bre- 
vetted major for Molino del Rey ; died August 1, 1852, in 
Bay of Panama, New Grenada. 

Richard E. Cochran, killed in the battle of Resaca de la 
Palma, May 9, 1846. 

Theodore H. Porter, killed in a skirmish, near the Rio 
Grande, April 19, 1846. 

Sidney Smith, wounded at Molino del Rey; mortally 
wounded in the attack upon Mexico City, September 14, 
1847; died September 16, 1847. 

Granville 0. Haller, brevetted captain for Molino del Rey; 
brevetted major for Chepultepec ; appointed full captain, Jan- 
uary, 1848; appointed major Seventh Infantry, September 
25, 1861; summarily dismissed from service, August, 1863. 

Henry D. Wallen,. wounded at Palo Alto, May 8, 1846; 
appointed adjutant, February, 1849; promoted captain, 
January 31, 1850; promoted major Seventh Infantry, No- 
vember 25, 1861; promoted lieutenant-colonel, July 30, 
1865; is at present commanding Fort Columbus, New York. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 45 

Henderson Ridgely, appointed assistant adjutant-general 
to General Lane, 18-16; killed at Pass Graudalaxara, Novem- 
ber 24, 1817. 

Jenks Beam an, participated in the battles of Palo Alto 
and Resaca de la Palma; commanded his company in the 
battle of Molino del Rey; died at Tampico, May 6, 1848. 

SECOND LIEUTENANTS. 

Christopher R. Perry, fought through the war; died Octo- 
ber 8, 1848, on his road home. 

C. C. Auger, of whom some account is given elsewhere in 
these papers. 

Ulysses S. Grant, the subject of these narratives. 

Henry M. Judah, of whom mention is made elsewhere. 

James S. Woods, brevetted first lieutenant for Resaca de 
la Palma; killed at Monterey, September 21, 1846. 

Alexander Hayes, brevetted first lieutenant for Resaca de 
la Palma; appointed assistant adjutant-general to General 
Lane, 1847; resigned April 12, 1848; entered the volunteer 
service, 1861; was a brigadier-general in the Army of the 
Potomac, and fell, we think, at Gettysburg. 

Abraham Lincoln, wounded at Molino del Rey, and bre- 
vetted a first lieutenant; died at Pilatka, Florida, April 15, 
1852. 

Thomas J. Montgomery, commanded his company at 
Cherubusco and Molino del Rey; appointed first lieutenant, 
December, 1847; appointed captain, March, 1854; died at 
Fort Steilacoom, Washington Territory, November 22, 1854. 

David A. Russell, brevetted first lieutenant for the Na- 
tional Bridge ; remained in the regular army until the begin- 
ning of the late war; appointed a brigadier-general of 
volunteers; served in the Army of the Potomac as a divi- 
sion commander, and fell, we think, at Chancellorsville. 

Delancy Floyd James, brevetted first lieutenant for Mo- 



46 LIFE 01' GRANT. 

lino del Rey ; was lieutenant-colonel (during the war) of the 
Nineteenth United States Infantry ; is at present colonel of 
the Sixth United States Infantry, and serving with his regi- 
ment. 

Alexander P. Rodgers, wounded and afterward killed at 
Chepultepec, September 13, 1847. 

Maurice Maloney, brevetted first lieutenant for Molino del 
Rey; brevetted captain for Chepultepec; wounded at San 
Cosme Gate, September 13, 1847; promoted to full first 
lieutenant, May, 1848; promoted captain, November, 1854; 
promoted major First United States Infantry, September 16, 
1862; promoted lieutenant-colonel, June 21, 1867, and, we 
believe, is at present serving in New Orleans. 

Archibald B. Botts, died, January, 1847, at Camargo, 
Mexico. 

Thomas R. McConnell, brevetted first lieutenant for Mo- 
lino del Rey; brevetted captain for Chepultepec; promoted 
to full captain, February, 1855; resigned, March 11, 1856, 
and, if not dead, is in civil life, 

Edmund Russell, wounded at Cherubusco ; brevetted first 
lieutenant for Molino del Rey ; killed by the Indians, near 
Red Bluff, California, March 24, 1853. 

Abbott, in his "Life of Grant," tells the following story, 
which seems to be well authenticated: 

"At Monterey, the brigade with which Lieutenant Grant 
served had pushed its way into the heart of the city. The 
firing was heavy. Suddenly it was discovered the ammuni- 
tion was running out. There was no egress from the peril- 
ous position except through the narrow street, the houses 
on one side of which were held by the Mexicans, who fired 
from every door and window. General Gardner hesitated 
about ordering any one to make the perilous attempt to get 
out for ammunition. Grant, who was an accomplished horse- 
man, volunteered, and, throwing himself on one of the offi- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 47 

cer's horses, he put the animal to the top of its speed, and 
on approaching the Mexican barricades caught his foot in 
the crupper of the saddle, and, grasping the mane with his 
hands, hung on the side of the horse, so as to shield his 
body, passed through the gauntlet in safety, and in an hour 
returned with a wagon loaded with ammunition." 

As before stated, Grant, after the Mexican War, returned 
to St. Louis and married Miss Dent. Having obtained a 
short leave of absence, he set off to spend his honey-moon, 
and here we leave him for the present. 



48 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER III. 

GRANT AND CHANDLER — GRANT IS STATIONED AT DETROIT AND SACKETT S 

HARBOR GOES TO CALIFORNIA AND THENCE TO OREGON — GARRISON LIFE 

ON THE FRONTIER — HE IS APPOINTED A FULL CAPTAIN RESIGNS FROM 

THE ARMY AND RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS BECOMES A FARMER — SKETCHES 

OF GRANT IN CIVIL LIFE GOES INTO THE REAL ESTATE AND AUCTION- 
EERING BUSINESS MOVES TO GALENA, ILLINOIS — RAISES A COMPANY FOR 

THE WAR IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST ILLINOIS 

INFANTRY. 

At the expiration of his honey-moon leave of absence, 
Grant joined his regiment, and soon afterward went with it 
to Detroit. It was while stationed here that a little incident 
happened, out of which Grant's Democratic enemies have 
manufactured a very large story. In the Northern cities, 
where snow and ice lie on the ground for many months in 
the year, as every one knows, the corporation laws require 
the owners of property to keep clear their pavements. 
Senator Zechariah Chandler, then a merchant in Detroit, 
neglected to clear the ice away in front of his house, and 
one morning, as Grant was coming into town from the fort, 
he slipped and fell on Mr. Chandler's pavement, and hurt 
his leg severely. Knowing that the ice should have been 
cleared away, and enraged by his hurt, Grant entered a 
complaint before the town authorities against Chandler. 
The case came up, and Grant appeared against Chandler, 
and testified to the ice being on the pavement in violation 
of the city laws. Chandler, in person, defended his case, 
and, among other things, asked Grant how he knew there 
was ice on his pavement. "Why, I fell on it and hurt 



LIFE OF GRANT. 49 

myself; besides, I saw it as I drove by in my cutter," 
replied Grant. "Oh, you saw it as you fell in the gutter, 
did you," said Chandler; and then, to mortify Grant, and 
pay him for the trouble he had given, Chandler continued: 
"If you soldiers would keep sober, perhaps you would not 
fall on people's pavements and hurt your legs." 

This made Grant very wroth, and he talked about whipping 
Chandler, who was about twice his size, but no fight occurred, 
and, except some sharp words, there was no quarrel. The 
Democratic papers have it that Grant cowhided Chandler, 
but there is not one word of truth in that, and the above is 
the whole of the story as related to us by an officer who 
was serving in Grant's regiment at the time of the occurrence. 

Chandler was fined, and made to clear the ice off his 
pavement, but he has, no doubt, long ago forgiven Ulysses 
for the trouble he gave him. 

Grant's regiment went from Detroit to Sackett's Harbor, 
and from thence to Governor's Island, where it remained a 
short time. 

The annexation of California, and the discovery of gold, 
drew thither a vast emigration from the States, and to 
protect our citizens, and keep peace and order among the 
thousands of desperate men who were pouring from all 
quarters in search of the glittering dust, it became neces- 
sary to send out troops; and the Fourth Infantry was one 
of the first regiments ordered off. Grant was obliged to 
leave his wife and child behind, and Mrs. Grant went to his 
father's, where their second child was soon afterward born. 
An officer, who was with Grant at the time, says he com- 
plained of the harsh orders of the Government compelling 
him to separate from his little family, and for several days 
meditated resigning. We doubt not that Grant fully re- 
solved, if ever he became the head of the army, he would 
adopt a system of orders that would not necessitate the 
I 



50 I-tl'E OF GRANT. 

separation of officers from their families, but he seems to 
have forgotten it, for it is not long since the writer, "by 
order of General Grant," sent a young officer into the wilds 
of Texas, while his stricken, and well-nigh heart-broken 
wife, with her little one, was obliged to return North to his 
father's, just as Grant's wife did a quarter of a century 
ago. We hope the General will not forget his old resolve, 
but remedy the present unchristian system of orders used 
in the army. Whom God hath joined together, let no man 
put asunder, by orders or otherwise. 

Grant saw but little of the scenes of violence and lawless- 
ness enacted in California, in 1852 and 1853, by the reck- 
less white men, treacherous Mexicans, and more blood- 
thirsty Indians that thronged thither ; for the company to 
which he was attached, after making a brief stop at San 
Francisco, was hurried on to Fort Dallas, in the wilds of 
Oregon. 

Life in garrison there must have been almost insupportably 
wearisome. The days came and went in the same solitary 
monotony ; now and then an Indian hunt, a game of billiards 
for the beer, a mail from the States, or a scrub horse race, 
was all that broke the dreariness of life in that distant 
territory. It is charged that Grant drank a good deal at 
this time, and it is well known that officers, when stationed 
in such solitary garrisons, far away from their families, 
often drink more than they should; but we can find no 
officer, who was in garrison at that time with Grant, who 
will say that he ever saw him drunk, or under the influence 
of liquor. It is not to be denied that he sometimes took a 
glass, but we never knew an officer in a frontier garrison who 
did not occasionally drink. In large towns and cities, 
where we constantly breathe the air that has passed through 
the lungs of two or three Democratic topers, we get enough 
whisky in the atmosphere to do us: but out on the great 



LIFE OF GRANT. 51 

plains of the West, where one gets air that was never 
breathed by mortal man, two or three nights' camping out, 
and long journeys by day, makes one feel wonderfully like 
taking something. If you do n't believe it, try it, and see 
if you do n't surprise yourself by taking a horn at the very 
first fort you come to. Not only do the officers, as a 
general thing, take their grog when on frontier duty, but 
we have yet to find the first minister who would refuse, 
when pressed, after he got as far out as Santa Fe, to "take 
a glass of something real good, just from the States." The 
mere mention of the States, in the far, far off regions, is 
enough to remove a man's objections, if he had any. 

The Democrats have repeatedly charged General Grant 
with being a drunkard; and yet, perhaps, as a body, the 
Democrats drink more whisky than any people in the United 
States. Rum and Democracy seem to be one and insepara- 
ble, and, if Grant ever drank much liquor, it was while he 
lived at St. Louis, and was a member of the Democratic 
party. We have made careful and honest inquiry, and say, 
most emphatically, that Grant, from the time he entered West 
Point, in 1839, until he resigned from the army, in 1854, and 
from the time he rejoined the army, in 1861, up to the present 
date, has always been a sober man. 

We well remember how r the papers said that General 
McDowell lost the* first battle of Bull Run because he was 
drunk, and we doubt not that thousands of good people, 
to this day, think McDowell is a drunkard, when, as scores 
of officers in the army can testify, he is a perfect old maid 
about whisky, never drinks a drop, and is constantly lectur- 
ing officers who do take a glass. John B. Gough is not a 
better temperance man than Irvin McDowell. It was a 
mighty hard cut on him, after being a temperance man all 
his life, and devoting his spare time to lecturing the young 
officers on the beauty of total abstinence, to give the old sol- 



52 LIFE OF GRANT. 

clier a national reputation as a drunkard. As Charlie Norris, 
of the dragoons, used to say, "If Mac had n't talked temper- 
ance so much, and had taken his glass regularly, along with 
the rest of us, them newspaper chaps would never have 
cracked that joke about his getting drunk at Bull Run." 

John Pope says, "If you want to injure a man, and can't 
think of any thing else to charge against him, just say he 
gets drunk, and, as half the people take their grog, they will 
be sure to believe it." There is a good deal of truth in that, 
and Pope might have added, "If you want to discredit a man, 
just say he is a liar;" and, although we can't say whether 
for the same reason that he advances in the case of whisky, 
yet certain it is that at one time the American people believed 
Pope the greatest liar living, when the facts of history go to 
show that he is really one of the most truthful men in the 
country. 

At Shiloh, while riding fast, Grant's horse fell, and gave 
him a severe contusion ; thereupon some newspaper writers 
gave out he was drunk, and fell off his horse, when the truth 
was Grant was just as sober at the battle of Shiloh as the 
ministers will be who will go into their pulpits to preach to 
the people next Sabbath day. These examples will serve to 
show how easy it is for the people to be mistaken in a man's 
character when they get their information from the teachings 
of a venal, unscrupulous, and partisan press. 

While stationed at Fort Dallas, in August, 1853, Grant 
received his commission as full captain in the Fourth United 
States Infantry. While Grant was a first lieutenant he was 
quartermaster of his regiment, and bore the reputation of be- 
ing a careless, good-natured fellow, and, withal, a very good 
officer. One day, either because he had no trunk of his own, 
or because he had more confidence in the care of his com- 
rade, Grant gave Lieutenant Gore his quartermaster's funds 
to keep. Gore locked the money up (amounting, in all, to 



LIFE OF GRANT. 53 

about six hundred dollars) in his trunk, and one day while 
all the officers were out of the quarters, a soldier who was a 
member of the Fourth Infantry band, stole the money from 
the trunk and deserted with it. As is often the case, Grant 
was obliged to carry this money on his returns up to the 
time when he quit the army, and it remained charged against 
him in the Treasury until after the capture of Vicksburg, 
when Mr. Arnold, of Illinois, introduced a bill in the House 
of Representatives, and had him relieved from all responsi- 
bility in the matter. This is the same money that the 
Democrats now charge Grant with being a defaulter for, 
only, under Democratic manipulation, it has grown from six 
hundred to seventeen thousand dollars — a slight increase, 
but not much when calculated by Copperhead arithmetic. 
Those Democrats who charge Grant with being a defaulter 
should turn over the files of the Globe, and they will find 
that every Democratic member then in Congress voted for 
the bill relieving Grant from all responsibility in the loss 
of the money, they believing that it was no fault of his 
whatever. 

In 1854, Grant having become thoroughly home-sick, and 
seeing no chance of having his family with him for years to 
come, determined to resign. He wished to become a farmer, 
and wrote to his father-in-law, who owned some land near St. 
Louis. Mr. Dent offered to give Mrs. Grant a farm, and the 
General's father said he would stock it; so, on the 31st day 
of July, 1854, Grant tendered his resignation, which was 
accepted, and he returned to St. Louis, and soon afterward 
moved on to his wife's farm, near that city. 

Although Grant worked hard, he got poorer every day, 
and finally gave up farming. True, he had made some im- 
provements on his farm, having built fences, and a house, 
which is still standing, the logs of which he hewed with his 
own hands, but at the end of four years he found himself, 



54 LIFE OF GRANT. 

pecuniarily, considerably worse off than when he began. 
During the last years of his farm life he hauled a great deal 
of wood to St. Louis, the Hon. Mr. Blow frequently buying 
from him. 

A gentleman, who is now a citizen of St. Louis, thus 
speaks of Grant : 

" I knew him well when he was a farmer. Often have I 
seen him driving home his wood-wagon, in his old felt hat 
and farmer coat. He was a sensible, plain, matter-of-fact 
man, and very industrious. I heard he sometimes drank, 
but I never saw him under the influence of liquor, nor did 
I ever hear any of his neighbors say they saw Grant tight. 
He was a hard-working, clever man, and we all liked him, 
but never thought he would be great some day." 

The following anecdote is told of Grant, referring to his 
former life : 

"Last winter the General gave a party in his fine house 
at Washington, and among the hundreds who came was Mrs. 
Blow, whom Grant had not seen since he lived at St. Louis. 
After shaking the lady warmly by the hand, and express- 
ing his delight at seeing her under his roof, the General 
said : 

"'Well, Mrs. Blow, times have changed a good deal with 
me of late.' 

"'Yes,' replied Mrs. B., not wishing to refer to his days 
of poverty, and thinking the General spoke of the war, 'we 
have peace at last, and I suppose you are glad of it, as you 
can rest now.' 

'"I am, indeed, happy to think the country is once more 
united, but I did not refer to the war when I spoke of the 
times having changed with me. I was thinking of when I 
used to haul wood to your house in St. Louis, and you used 
to give me orders on Mr. Blow at the office. Do n't you 
remember it? ' " 



LIFE OF GRANT. 55 

Mrs. B. replied she did, and the General then went on 
and spoke with simplicity and feeling of the times when he 
was a farmer and wood dealer. 

In 1858, Grant gave up farming, rented out his land, and 
moved into St. Louis, where he and a Mr. Boggs opened a 
real estate office. They were not successful, and Grant, 
who soon saw there was not enough profit in the business to 
support two families, told his partner to take all of it, and he 
would look up something else to do. He next got a situa- 
tion in the custom-house, but the collector dying soon after- 
ward, he was either discharged or left of his own accord.* 
He now tried his hand at collecting debts, but for this busi- 
ness he was not at all qualified. It is said Grant always 
apologized for dunning a debtor, and when he was told by 
a fellow he had no money he believed him and went off, nor 
could he be induced to go back and trouble him again. 
Grant next became an auctioneer; it is amusing now to 
think of the silent General as an auctioneer, praising the 
quality of wares. Imagine Grant mounted behind the coun- 
ter singing out to the crowd: "Here is an article, gentle- 
men, of use to every family, and such a one as can not be 
had anywhere else in the city for the money. Look at it ; 
sound as a dollar, and I will sell it cheap. How much do 
I hear for this fine butter bowl? Say two fifty; one dollar. 
Start it at seventy-five cents, somebody. Seventy -five ; I 
hear seventy-five? seventy-five, seventy -five, seventy-five; 
say one dollar; one dollar it is; one dollar, one dollar, one 
dollar, one dollar; are you all off at one dollar? It is a 
shame to let so fine a butter bowl go at that price. One 
dollar, once— one dollar, twice; and three — do I hear no 



*An officer, who was stationed at Jefferson Barracks at this time, 
informs us that Grant applied to the Quartermaster's Department in 
St. Louis for a clerkship, and was refused. 



56 LIFE OF GRANT. 

more ? t-h-r-e-e times. Gone at one dollar, and you have a 
real bargain in it, sir." 

Grant found auctioneering a dull business ; indeed, if he 
did not make longer speeches than he does now, it is a 
wonder he ever sold a single article at cost. In 1859, 
Grant's father, a thrifty, sharp old gentleman, came to look 
after his son's prospects, and seeing he was not prospering, 
oifered him an interest in the successful leather house of 
Grant & Son, at Galena, Illinois. Grant gladly accepted 
his father's proposal to go into the leather trade, and began 
preparations for moving at once with his family to Galena. 

Speaking of his residence at St. Louis, a leading merchant 
writes of Grant : 

"I remember the General well when he occupied a little 
farm to the south-west of the city. He cut the wood off 
his place, and was in the habit of drawing it to Carondelet 
market, and there selling it. There are many of our citi- 
zens who bought wood by the cord from him, and can still 
call to mind the time when they made purchases of the great 
General. When he came into market he was usually dressed 
in an old felt hat, with a blouse coat, and his pants tucked 
in the top of his boots. He appeared, as he was, like a 
sturdy, honest woodman. From all I can learn, he was a 
hard-working, reliable, and truthful man. He was always 
at work at something, but although he farmed all summer 
and hauled wood all winter, he did not possess the knack 
of making money, and got poorer every year. He borrowed 
money sometimes, but, always strictly honorable, he promptly 
repaid it. His habits of life were hardy, inexpensive and 
simple, but he was one of those men of whom we often say, 
'He has no luck in any thing he does, the fates are against 
him ;' indeed, we guess poor Grant often thought so himself, 
as he struggled along with the world, but his time hadn't 
come yet, as we have all seen since, and there is not one of 



LIFE OF (511ANT. 57 

us but would gladly have endured all his hardships for such 
a glorious future. As to the inquiry about his being an ine- 
briate, I can find nothing to confirm it. On a cold day, when 
he had brought a load of wood to Carondelet market, he would 
take something to keep himself warm, but would not drink 
too much. This, so far as I can trace, is the only foundation 
for the many reports about his inebriety at this time." 

Professor Coppee, who was a cadet at West Point with 
Grant, thus speaks of him : 

"I visited St. Louis at this time (1857), and remember, 
with pleasure, that Grant, in his farmer rig, whip in hand, 
came to see me at the hotel, where were Joseph J. Reynolds, 
then professor, now major-general, General (then major) D. 
C. Buell and Major Chapman, of the cavalry. Grant may 
have used spirits then, but I distinctly remember that upon 
the proposal being made to take a drink, Grant said, 'I will 
go in and look at you, but I never drink any thing;' and 
other officers, who saw him frequently afterward, told me 
that Grant drank nothing but water." 

Grant and his two brothers succeeded well with their store 
at Galena. Grant w r as a good salesman and attended closely 
to business. His share of the profits soon enabled him to 
build a comfortable house, and about the beginning of the 
war the greatest concern of Grant was to get a good board- 
walk laid from his house to the store. lie has often said 
that the only office he ever desired to hold, was mayor of 
Galena, so he could get that walk put down. It is related, 
that after one of his great victories, some gentlemen of 
Galena had the walk laid, and telegraphed the General : 
"Rest easy, the walk is down." Grant seems to have been 
little known to his fellow-citizens, for after he had become 
famous, his father tells us that the citizens would stop in the 
store to see which of the Grant boys it was that had gone 
to the Avar. 



58 LIFE OF GRANT. 

In 1861, when the news of the firing on Fort Sumter 
reached Galena, Grant was in his store; and after reading 
the account, he laid down the paper, and said to a friend 
who was standing by : "I shall go to the war. You know 
Uncle Sam educated me for the army, and though I have 
served him through one war, I feel I have not yet canceled 
the debt I owe the Government." Grant pulled on his coat, 
and going into the streets of Galena, commenced raising a 
company of volunteers. Sumter fell on the 13th of April, 
1861. President Lincoln called for seventy-five thousand 
troops on the 15th, and on the 19th Grant was drilling his 
company at Galena. The men expected to elect Grant their 
captain; but a citizen confessing to Grant that he was anx- 
ious to go into the war, and thinking the captaincy would 
serve as a stepping-stone to something higher, Grant at once 
gave way, and he took the company to the State Capital. 
Grant at once wrote to the Adjutant-General of the army, 
at Washington — Lorenzo Thomas — stating he had been edu- 
cated at West Point, and tendering his services in any 
capacity he could be useful; but the Government thought 
so little of the matter that they did not even reply to his 
letter.* 

Hon. E. B. Washburn, who was then the Representative in 
Congress from the Galena District, had noticed the patriotic 
exertions of Grant, and one day sent for him, and learning 
his story, offered at once to go with him to Springfield, and 
urge Richard Yates, the Governor of the State, to give him 
something to do in the war. They set out together, and on 
reaching the Capital, Governor Yates, on the recommenda- 
tion of Mr. Washburn, appointed Grant an aid-de-camp on 
his staff' as commander-in-chief of the Illinois forces, and 

*So little was thought of this letter that it was not even preserved, 
but torn up and thrown into the waste basket. 



LIFE OP GRANT. 59 

assigned him to the duty of mustering in the troops. Gov- 
ernor Yates soon perceived that Grant's practical knowledge 
of military matters would make him a valuable man to have 
about his person, and he appointed him Adjutant-General 
of the State. Grant worked with a will at the difficult task 
of mustering in the three-months' men, which, amid much 
confusion, he accomplished by the most indefatigable energy, 
but seeing Yates was disposed to keep him at the Capital, 
when he wanted to be in the field, and learning that an old 
West Pointer, McClellan, had been appointed to command 
at the West, and was then at Cincinnati, he determined 
to visit his father at Covington, and see if McClellan would 
not give him duty in the field. Grant secretly hoped that 
when General McClellan saw him, he would offer him 
a position on his staff, but, although he went twice to 
Cincinnati to see the young Napoleon, no offer of a place 
was made him, and Grant was about to return to Illinois 
without mentioning his aspirations to any one, when his 
father received a dispatch from Governor Yates, stating that 
"Ulysses Grant had been appointed colonel of the Twenty- 
first Illinois Infantry." Grant at once resigned his appoint- 
ment as mustering officer, accepted the colonelcy of the 
Twenty-first, and joined his regiment, which was then 
organizing at Matcoon, Illinois. 

After removing his men to Caseyville, and drilling them 
for a short time, Grant, on the 81st day of July, 1861, 
reported with his regiment to General John Pope, then 
commanding the District of Missouri, was assigned by that 
General to the command of the troops at Mexico, on the 
North Missouri Railroad, and here Grant began his first 
military operations in the war of the rebellion, a war des- 
tined to make him the most famous of living generals. 

Since the above was written, we have 

received a very long and interesting letter from a brother 



60 LIFE OF GRANT. 

officer who served with Grant in the Fourth Infantry. We 
make the following extracts : 

" I cheerfully comply with your request to 

tell you what I know about Grant's early military life. My 
association with him began at Detroit, in 18-48, at the time 
of his return from his bridal tour. I was then a second 
lieutenant in the Fourth Infantry, and I well remember the 
day Grant came to the post with his young bride and his 
sister. Grant was the regimental quartermaster, and, after 
his hard campaigns in Mexico, entitled to rest, but an 
officer, who, I have always believed, did it from purely 
selfish motives, got Grant ordered to the then bleak and 
undesirable post of Sackett's Harbor. Although Grant's 
proper place as quartermaster was at Detroit with the regi- 
mental head-quarters, he uncomplainingly obeyed the order. 
He, however, laid his grievances before Brevet Colonel 
Francis Lee, commanding the regiment, and, after due 
consultation, his case was forwarded to Washington for the 
decision of the General-in-Chief, Winfield Scott. The old 
General decided Grant should go back to Detroit, and, as 
soon as navigation on the lakes was open, he returned to 
head-quarters to the delight of many of us, and the complete 
discomfiture of his few T , but selfish enemies. That Grant is 
a generous and magnanimous man, I think, is fully shown 
by the fact that, after his return to Detroit, he never kept 
spite against the officer who did him so great an injustice, 
but invited him to his ever hospitable quarters, and, during 
the late war, heaped upon him every honor he could. 

"It was while stationed at the City of the 

Straits, that Grant had a difficulty with Senator Chandler, 
then a merchant in that place. It was something about ice 
on Chandler's pavement, upon which Grant had fallen and 
hurt himself. He had Chandler brought before the city 



LIFE OF GRANT. 61 

authorities, for violating the ordinances, and, I have always 
understood, came off first best in the affair. 

"I did not see Grant after leaving him at 

Detroit, until 1852, when I met him at Fort Columbus, New 
York, where the regiment had been concentrated, preparatory 
tc embarking for California. He had to leave his wife and 
child behind ; and, although this was a sad blow to him, lie 
exhibited great energy, and did his best, as regimental 
quartermaster, to make the officers and men comfortable on 
their way out. At Panama Bay, the Asiatic cholera caught 
us, and here Grant lost his most intimate friend and com- 
panion, Brevet Major J. H. Gore, who died on the 1st of 
August, 1852. Grant remained fearlessly by the side of 
his stricken brother officers, and every day went among 
the men where the terrible disease was making great havoc, 
and did all he could to comfort and ease the poor fellows. 

"On arriving in California, we went for a 

short time to Benecia, from which place six companies, 
with the head-quarters, went to Fort Vancouver, Washington 
Territory. Grant and I went with them, and soon after 
our arrival there, Grant, who was always fond of horses, 
and a good judge, bought one of the finest animals in the 
Territory. 

"One morning, while sitting with some 

comrades in front of the officers' quarters, we observed 
Grant riding on his fine horse toward Major Hathaway's 
battery, which was in park about two hundred and fifty 
yards distant. As Grant drew near the guns, and we were 
observing the motions of his fine animal, we saw him gather 
the reins, take a tighter grip on his cigar, pull down his 
hat firmly on his head, and seat himself securely in the 
saddle. 'Grant is going to leap the battery,' cried two or 
three of the officers, and we all stood up to see him do it. 



62 LIFE OF GRANT. 

He ran his horse- at the pieces, and put him one after 
another over the four guns as easily and gracefully as a 
circus rider. 

"Speaking of Grant's excellent horsemanship, reminds 
me of a thing he did in Mexico, that is worth relating. 
One day he came to see Colonel Howard, who was in com- 
mand of the Castle of Chepultepec. The colonel's quarters 
were inside of the fortress, which was surrounded by a high, 
broad earth-work. Grant rode up the slope outside, and, 
after riding around the castle two or three times and seeing 
no post to hitch his horse to, deliberately spurred the animal 
down the broad, but long and steep stone stairs that led into 
the fort. When Colonel Howard came out of the castle and 
saw Grant's horse tied at the door, where, perhaps, a horse 
had never before been, he said, in astonishment, ' Lieuten- 
ant, how in the world did you get your horse in here?' 
' Rode him in, sir,' quietly replied Grant. ' And how do 
you expect to get him out V ' Ride him up the steps instead 
of down,' answered Grant, and, mounting the animal, he 
rode him to the foot of the stairs, and, with Grant on his 
back, the intelligent brute climbed like a cat to the top, 
where Grant, waving his hat to Colonel Howard below, dis- 
appeared like a flash over the breastworks. 

"I did not now see Grant for some time, and 

the next place I met him was at Fort Humboldt, California, 
where he came to assume command of Company F, of the 
Fourth U. S. Infantry, to which he had been promoted cap- 
tain by the death of General Taylor's son-in-law, Colonel 
Bliss. I remember soon after Grant's arrival we had a * clam 
lunch,' and I asked Grant how he liked clams, when he drily 
replied, he thought them a very good substitute for ' gutta 
percha oysters.' 

"I have seen it stated that Grant resigned on 

account of trouble brought on by his drunkenness. There 



LIFE OF GRANT. 63 

is not one word of truth in that. * The monotony of the 
small post of Humboldt was too much for him; he had been 
separated from his family for over two years, and wished 
to see them again. He applied for a leave of absence, 
which was refused him; and then, of his own free-will and 
accord, untrammeled by any outside circumstances, and from 
the sole desire to be with his family, he tendered his resig- 
nation, which was accepted. 

" The money you speak of was lost by Grant 

soon after the last battle was fought in Mexico. The 
amount was about six hundred dollars of quartermaster's 
funds, which Grant, for safe keeping, had given to his inti- 
mate friend and fellow-officer, the lamented Major John II. 
Gore. One day, while the officers where out of the tent, a 
soldier of the Fourth U. S. Infantry broke open Gore's 
trunk, took Grant's money and all the little valuables and 
trinkets Gore had. Neither the department, nor any one, 
ever blamed Grant for the loss of the money, and after the 
war began he was relieved from it by special act of Congress. 
Grant was really one of the best officers we ever had in the 
old Fourth Infantry, and esteemed and beloved by nearly 
every one." 

* This officer is not a radical. 



64 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER IV. 

SEiNI AS A COLONEL IS ASSIGNED TO COMMAND OF A BRIGADE IS AP- 
POINTED BRIGADIER-GENERAL, AND ASSIGNED TO COMMAND AT CAIRO 

GRANT'S ENEMIES HE CUTS THE NEUTRALITY KNOT IN KENTUCKY 

CAPTURE OF PADUCAH THE BATTLE OF BELMONT WHY THAT BATTLE 

WAS FOUGHT THE EXPEDITION INTO KENTUCKY PREPARATIONS TO 

ATTACK FORT HENRY FALL OF FORT HENRY — PREPARATIONS TO ATTACK 

FORT DONELSON CAPTURE OF FORT DONELSON REJOICING OF THE PEO- 
PLE — GRANT PROMOTED BY THE PRESIDENT TO MAJOR-GENERAL NEW 

DISTRICT CREATED FOR HIM HE GETS UNDER A CLOUD IS RELIEYED 

FROM HIS DISGRACE PREPARATIONS FOR THE BATTE OF SIIILOH. 

Before going to Mexico, Missouri, Grant had marched 
with his regiment from Hannibal to Quincy, from thence to 
St. Joseph, and having obtained considerable knowledge by 
these movements, and inured his men to hardships, in com- 
ing in contact with other and greener regiments, although 
the youngest colonel, Grant's experience pointed him out as 
the fittest person to command the combined forces, and he 
was made acting brigadier-general. For a time his head- 
quarters were at Mexico, and from there he marched to Pilot 
Knob, from thence to Ironton, thence to Jefferson City, to 
defend the river against the attacks of^Jeif. Thompson. 
Grant fortified Marble Creek, and continued his military 
operations in Missouri until about the 23d of August, 1861, 
when he received his commission as brigadier-general. This 
commission wa-s made August 7th, but appointed Grant to 
rank as brigadier from the 17th day of May, 1861. The 
first intimation Grant had of his appointment was through 
newspapers, and he knew little about it until he received his 



LIFE OF GKAN i. -i.'i 

commission. But his promotion had nor been obtained with- 
out a struggle. Hon. E. B. Washburn, who had never spoken 
to Grant until after tke-war began, had conceived a great 
liking for him, and urged his promotion with President Lin- 
coln. The President sent in Grant's name with thirty-three 
others, and he stood No. 17, or in the middle 01 the list. 
about where he stood in the graduating class at West Point. 
in 1843. Again it is curious to trace the history of these 
men and see how the seventeenth general outstripped all the 
others in military renown. The roster stood at the begin- 
ning of 1861: 

1. S. P. Ileintzelnum, not in active service. 

2. E. D. Keys, not in active service. 

3. Andrew Porter, not in active service. 

4. Fitz John Porter, Cashiered. 

o. William I>. Franklin, commanding Nineteenth Army Corps. 

6. "William T. Sherman, commanding Department. 

7. Charles P. Stone. Chief of Staff»to General Ranks. 

8. Don Carlos Bnell, not in active service. 

9. Thomas W. Sherman, temporarily disabled; 

10. James Oakes, not in service. 

1 1. John Pope, commanding Department North-west 

12. George A. McCall, resigned. 

13. William R. Montgomery, not in active service. 

14. Philip Kearney, dead. 

15. Joseph Hooker, commanding Grand Division. 

16. John W. Phelps, resigned. 

17. Ulysses S. Grant, Lieutenant-General. 

18. J. J. Reynolds, commanding troops New Orleans. 

19. Samuel R. Curtis, not in active service. 

20. Charles S. Hamilton, not in active service. 

21. D. X. Couch, commanding Department Susquehanna, 

22. Rufus King, Foreign Minister. 

23. J. D. Cox, commanding corps. 

21. S. A. Hurlbut, commanding corps. 

25. Franz Sigel, not in active service. 

26. Robert C. Schenck, in Congress. 

27. B. M. Prentiss, resigned. 

5 



t)b LIFE OF GRANT. 

28. F. W. Lander, dead. 

29. B. F. Kelly, commanding Department West Virginia. 

30. J. A. McClernand, not in active service. 

31. A. S. Williams, commanding division. 

32. J. B. Richardson, dead. 

33. William Sprague, declined. 

34. James Cooper, dead. 

The President, at the request of Mr. Washburn, had sent 
in to the United States Senate the name of Colonel IT. S. 
Grant for brigadier-general. At that time the Senators and 
the people knew no more who U. S. Grant was than they did 
about Bob Smith or Tom Jones. Some enemies of Grant 
had told several Senators he was a drunken, worthless fel- 
low, and ought not to be confirmed. When his name came 
up two or three objected, and stated what they had heard, 
and the name of Grant was about to be rejected, when it so 
happened that Mr. Washburn, who was on his way home 
from the House, and whp did not know the nominations 
were up, went by the Senate and called out Ben. Wade, of 
Ohio, to whom he said : " Mr. Wade, the President has sent 
in the name of Colonel U. S. Grant, of the Twenty-first 
Illinois Regiment, to be a brigadier- general; when it comes 
up, I wish you would remember the name and help him 
through." 

"It is up now, and he is going to be rejected. They say 
he is a drunkard," replied Mr. Wade. 

"He is no such thing, and I can prove it," answered 
Washburn. 

Wade hurried into the Senate and asked that action on 
Grant's nomination might be postponed until the next day, 
which was done, and that night Washburn visited the Sen- 
ators, explained away the ill-natured reports put in circula- 
tion about his friend, and next day Grant was confirmed. 

Soon after his promotion, Grant was ordered to the Mis- 
sissippi, given command of the District of South-ea.^t Mis- 



LIFE OF Oil A XT. 



67 



souri, and made his head-quarters at Cairo, the confluence 
of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. 
He soon deter- 




mined the strategic 
points in his dis- 
trict, and decided 
upon the seizure 
of Paducah, at the 
mouth of the Ten- 
nessee River. Ken- 
tucky was at this 
time playing the 
absurd role of neu- 
trality, but while 
the Governor and 
his people were 
making loud pro- 
fessions of peace, 
the rebels were fortifying Columbus and Hickman, on 
the Mississippi, and Bowling Green, on the Big Barren. 
Without giving any heed to the armed neutrality parade, 
and silly State Rights doctrines of Kentucky, Grant hearing 
that the rebel troops were about to occupy Paducah in force, 
he advanced in the night with two regiments, drove out some 
rebel recruits, and seized the city. The neutral citizens had 
secession flags flying, and were in great glee, hourly expect- 
ing the arrival of some four thousand rebel troops, when 
Grant with his blue jackets tumbled into their streets. 

After fortifying Smithland, at the mouth of the Cumber- 
land River, and leaving sufficient garrisons behind, he set 
out to return to his head-quarters at Cairo, but, before leav- 
ing Paducah, issued a proclamation to the citizens, which is 
a little curious, as being the first military paper issued by 
Grant in the war : 



68 MFE OF GRAXT. 

"Paducah, Ky., September 6, 1861. 
"To the citizens of Paducah: 

"I am come among you, not as an enemy, but as your 
fellow-citizen. Not to maltreat you nor annoy you, but to 
respect and enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. An 
enemy, in rebellion against our common Government, has 
taken possession of, and planted its guns on the soil of 
Kentucky, and fired upon you. Columbus and Hickman 
are in his hands. He is moving upon your city. I am 
here to defend you against this enemy, to assist the author- 
ity and sovereignty of your Government. I have nothing 
to do ivith opinions, and shall deal only with armed rebellion 
and its aiders and abettors. You can pursue your usual 
avocations without fear. The strong arm of the Govern- 
ment is here to protect its friends, and punish its enemies. 
Whenever it is manifest that you are able to defend your- 
selves, and maintain the authority of the Government, and 
protect the rights of loyal citizens, I shall withdraw the 
forces under my command. 

"U.S. GRANT, 

"Brigadier-General Qomma?iding." 

When it is remembered this paper was issued at a time 
when some of the ablest statesmen in the nation were puz- 
zling their brains over the position of Kentucky, it will be 
seen how completely the blunt General cut the knot of neu- 
trality, and exploded the fallacy of State Rights in time 
of war. Grant had marched upon the sacred soil of Ken- 
tucky without consulting any one, and as soon as the State 
authorities heard he had seized Paducah, they telegraphed 
General Fremont, Grant's superior officer, that a great out- 
rage had been committed, and that Paducah, " a city of Ken- 
tucky, was actually in the hands of United States troops." 
The State officials had first telegraphed Grant to know why 



LIFE OF i; 11 A NT. tJO 

he had presumed to advance with an armed force upon the 
soil of Kentucky, and the General gave the very sensible 
reply, that he had come to put down rebellion. His answer 
was sent to Fremont, and some sharp correspondence en- 
sued between that General and Grant, not so much because 
Grant had advanced into Kentucky without orders, as be- 
cause he "had corresponded with State and other high of- 
ficials on matters of importance without the permission of 
his superiors," and he was peremptorily informed that the 
divine right of writing letters to governors, etc., lay only 
in the "head-quarters at St. Louis." Notwithstanding the 
exertions of the rebel governor, the legislature passed 
Union resolutions, and the loyal people of Kentucky, cheered 
by the knowledge of Grant's presence with an armed force 
in Paducah, began every-where to organize to sustain the 
old ilag of the nation, and keep the State in the Union. 

Larke, in his history, gives this picture of Grant in camp : 
"General Grant, when in camp at Cairo, presented little, in 
fact nothing, of the gewgaws and trappings which are gen- 
erally attached to the attire of a general; and in this respect 
he showed a marked contrast between himself and some of 
his sub-lieutenants, whose bright buttons and glittering 
shoulder-straps were perfectly resplendent. The General, 
instead, would move about the camp with his attire care- 
lessly thrown on, and left to fall as it pleased. In fact, he 
seemed to care nothing at all about his personal appearance, 
and in the place of the usual military hat and gold cord, 
he wore an old battered black hat, generally designated a 
"stove-pipe," an article that neither of his subordinates 
would have stooped to pick up. In his mouth lie carried a 
black-looking cigar, which he was constantly puffing.'* 

The situation in Grant's district, on the 28d of Novem- 
ber, 1861, was as follows: Jeff. Thompson, at Indian Ford, 
on the St. Francois River, with three thousand men; Pride, 



70 



LIFE OF GRANT. 






v. 



% 







in South -western Missouri, awaiting reinforcements from 
Polk and Jeff. Thompson; Polk at Columbus. Hearing 
Polk was crossing troops from Columbus to Belmont, with 

a view to reen- 
force Price, Grant 
sent Col. Richard 
Oglesby against 
Jeff. Thompson, 
with instructions 
to attack him and 
break up his 
camps. On the 
night of the 7th, 
Grant, who had 
already sent C. 
F. Smith from 
Paducah to dem- 
onstrate against 
Columbus, hear- 
ing that Polk was 
about to move 
from Belmont 
with a force to cut 
off Oglesby, determined to attack that place. He at once 
moved, by boat, with three thousand men to Hunter's Point, 
three miles from Columbus, on the Missouri shore, whei« 
he debarked and marched for Belmont. The rebel Tappan's 
force was soon encountered and driven back, as was also 
Pillow, who came to his support with three regiments. 
Grant deployed his whole force as skirmishers, except one 
battalion held in reserve, and fighting from tree to tree, 
through sloughs and abattis, after a contest of four hours 
drove the rebels under the river bank and captured several 
hundred prisoners. Belmont is on low ground, and in range 



Belmont, 



LIFE OF GRANT. 71 

of Columbus, from which place the rebel batteries kept up a 
plunging fire on the Union forces. 

After whipping the rebels, our forces became disorgan- 
ized and began plundering the rebel camps, while the 
colonels, instead of pursuing the rebels, went to making 
stump speeches. Meanwhile the rebels rallied ; and Polk 
began to cross reinforcements from Columbus in transports. 
Grant attempted to call off his troops; but, being raw and 
green, and crazy with their victory, they would not obey 
him. To stop their pillaging, he ordered the rebel camps 
to be fired. Gathering what troops he could, he began his 
retreat toward his boats, but found the rebels had inter- 
cepted him. A staff officer galloped up to Grant, and ex- 
citedly cried out, "General, we are cut off and surrounded!" 
"Silence, sir,''' replied Grant," u if that be so, ive must cut 
our way out as we cut our way in." The General, who had 
already had one horse shot under him, behaved with great 
coolness and gallantry, going into the thickest of the fight 
and encouraging his men. He said, constantly, u We have 
whipped them once and can do it again.'''' The troops closed 
up, and, charging upon the enemy, cut their way to the 
transports, where they embarked under cover of the gun- 
boats, and sailed up the river, while the rebels returned to 
their ruined and burning camps. We had eighty-five killed, 
three hundred and one wounded, and ninety-nine missing. 
The Confederate loss was six hundred and thirty-two. 

Much has been said about the battle of Belmont, but we 
think nearly every one will now admit Grant acted wisely 
in fighting it. The reasons, in brief, for the battle seem to 
be: 1. The inordinate desire of our green troops to fight, 
they already began not only to call, but believe General 
Grant to be a coward. 2. The necessity of trying the spirit, 
endurance and power of the enemy, as well as giving our 
own men some experience in actual war before larger and 



/!' 



LIFE- »>1' GRANT. 







more important movements began. 3. The necessity of 
preventing Polk from sending troops to cut off Oglesby. 

«$dfc&ib W l i ffi ffll 3 " -* ^ attacking, to show 

ii the rebel commander the 

importance of keeping 
his forces together, and 
■immM/./ :] < thus prevent him from 
sending reenforcemolits 
to Price, in Missouri. 
All these objects were 
accomplished, and we re- 
spectfully submit that 
I £ they were sufficient to 
b justify the battle of Bel- 
% mont. 
J g Halleck was now called 
,' = to command the Depart- 
m\ S ment of Missouri, and 
H one of his first acts was 
1$ to enlarge Gen. Grant's 
m- district and give him ad- 
[m ditional troops. Having 
hastily organized his new 
command, Halleck, to 
prevent Polk from reen- 
forcing Buckner at Bowl- 
ing Green, ordered Grant 
to make a grand recon 
noi-sance into Kentucky. General Payne moved from Cairo 
to Bird's Point, and thence to Fort Jefferson, where he 
remained, while General Smith with a column moved from 
Smithland through Blandville. The expeditionary forces 
marched to within one mile of the defenses of Columbus, 
when, having fully accomplished their object and obtained 




LIFE OF GRANT. 




much valuable information, they returned. Smith, in his 
report of this expedition, represented the capture of Fort 
Henry as feasible, and 
Grant at once forwarded 
it to Halleck, "recom- 
mended," and the next 
day set out in person for 
St. Louis, to obtain, if 
possible, permission to at- 
tack Forts Henry and 
Donelson ; but Halleck 
snubbed him, and sent 
him back to Cairo. Noth- 
ing daunted. Grant four 
days later telegraphed 
Halleck: " With permis- 
sion, I will take and hold Fort. Henry." To back him up, 
Grant got Commodore Foote to write Halleck and advise 
the attack on Fort Henry. On trie 30th of January, Hal- 
leck gave his consent, and on the 2d of February Grant 
started from Cairo, with seventeen thousand men on trans- 
ports. McClernand led the advance, and disembarked his 
troops eight miles from the fort; but Grant ordered them on 
board again, and continued up the river to Bailey's Ferry, 
where the dropping shells from the rebel guns admonishing 
him he was close enough, he rounded to and had his forces 
put on shore. The rebel General Tilghman commanded the 
fort, and had two thousand and seven hundred men. The 
works were strong, bastioned, embrasured, with sand bags 
on the parapets, and mounted seventeen heavy guns, twelve 
of which bore on the river and five inland. Outside of the 
works were intrenched camps, on heights defended by long 
lines of rifle-pits. 

The boats in the river began the battle at eleven o'clock 



74 



LIFE Of GRANT. 



on the 6th day of February, while Grant was marching by 
land to invest the fort, having to march eight miles to get to 
the rear of the rebel works. While Grant was cutting roads 
through the woods and bridging the overflowed streams, the 

rebels made good use of 
the two or three hours 
thus afforded them, and 
ran away by the upper 
roads; but Gen. Tilgh- 
man, with his staff and 
about sixty men, re- 
mained, and surren- 
dered to the navy be- 
fore the land forces 
could get up. Grant, 
knowing Foote's mod- 

A Mortar-boat. egt ^ an( j w islling tO 

place the credit where it belonged, with the gallant tars, 
promptly telegraphed Halleck : a Fort Henry is ours; the 
gunboats silenced the batteries before the investment was 
completed." Next day Grant telegraphed Halleck : " I shall 
take and destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th." Grant's cav- 




Wwfti 




airy at once drove in the rebel outposts, and picketed to 
within one mile of the fort, On the 8th, according to prom- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



75 



ise, the infantry and artillery began moving on Donelson, 
but the rain had so swollen the streams, the advance was 
delayed until the 11th. Meantime, Foote's gunboats, which 
had been up the Tennessee, returned, and advanced in con- 
junction with the hind forces. 

McClernand again led the advance, and, on the 12th, the 










main column, under Grant, was well on the way, Ghenerala 
Smith and Lewis Wallace commanding the divisions. Fort 



/b LIFE OF CHANT. 

Donelson was a strong work, built on precipitous heights, 
and surrounded by deep gorges and ravines. It covered a 
hundred acres of land and mounted fifteen heavy guns. The 
river was protected by heavy water-batteries, admirably lo- 
cated and well constructed. The rebel General Buckner was 
in the works, with twenty-one thousand men and sixty-five 
field pieces. 

On the 12th, Grant began investing the works. McCler- 
nand, with his division, moved to the rear of the rebel forts, 
and constituted the right wing of the besieging forces. Gen- 
eral Smith's division formed the left of the line, and Lew. 
Wallace's forces, under Grant in person, the center. On the 
14th, the gunboats arrived and the skirmishing began. Fri- 
day, at %ree o'clock, six gunboats attacked the fort, and a 
terrific cannonade ensued. Foote was wounded, and all of 
his boats more or less injured, some of them being literally 
knocked to pieces — the flag-ship St. Louis having her wheel 
shot away, and receiving fifty-nine shots. 

So shattered were the gunboats, that Commodore Foote 
said it would be necessary for him to return to Cairo and 
repair them, and he urged Grant to remain as quiet as pos- 
sible until he returned; but, while Grant and Foote were 
still in conference, the rebels sallied from their works and 
attacked the extreme right of Grant's line. After a stub- 
born fight, Mc Arthur's brigade was driven back, and all of 
McClernand's division for a time wavered; but Lew. Wallace 
came up promptly from the center to their support, and drove 
the rebels; but the attack was soon renewed on both McCler- 
nand and Wallace, and, after a close fight, their troops stub- 
bornly fell back. The rebels did not follow far, and there 
was a lull in the battle, when Grant, who had just heard of 
the attack, and returned from the gunboats, rode up at full 
speed, and perceiving the condition of affairs, said to a staff 
officer: "Examine the rebel prisoners, and see if their hav- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 77 

ersacks are filled?" The staff officer did so, and found they 
contained three days' full rations. u Good," said Grant, in 
glee; -they are fighting to get out to Nashville; they have 
no idea of staying to fight us." * Then observing the wearied 
and disordered appearance of his men, and the quiet of the 
enemy, he said: "The contest has reached its height: which- 
ever party first attacks now, will whip," and, putting spurs 
to his horse, he galloped furiously to the left, where Smith's 
division was drawn up, and ordered an attack to be at once 
made on the rebel right. Returning to his own right, he 
rode among the soldiers, assuring them the rebels were try- 
ing to cut out, and exhorting them to stand firm and hold 
the enemy fast, while the left assaulted. The dispirited men 
caught the idea and courage of their commander, and, with 
shouts, began to move to the front. Meantime Grant had 
sent word to the navy of what was going on, and brave old 
Foote run up his crippled boats, and again opened on the 
rebel forts. Smith's division, at the point of the bayonet, 
carried the heights and captured the key to the rebel posi- 
tion. That night Grant slept in a negro hut near the rebel 
works, and the weary troops bivouacked on the hard-frozen 
ground. The rebel generals held a council of war, and Floyd, 
who was the ranking officer, turned the command over to Pil- 
low ; Pillowy in turn, turned it over to Buckner, and then both 
he and Floyd ran away. 

Next morning the Union troops began stirring early, and 
Grant w T as preparing to assault the rebel intrenchments, when 
a Confederate bugler brought him a note from Buckner ask- 
ing him not to assault, Soon after it was light, another mes- 
senger from Buckner reached Grant, and a white flag was 
hoisted on Fort Donelson. The rebel commander proposed 



* Grant was quite right, for Pillow says, in his official report: " We 
had fought the battle to open the way for our army, and relieve us 
from his (Grant's) investment. 



78 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



an armistice until twelve o'clock, to settle the " terms of ca- 
pitulation." Grant curtly replied: "No terms other than an 



LANDING PLACE C7 THIRD C'vrr G M " 






-,^ x ~ - - m s . y; t^-V'**^ 



# o ' 






#;^#i % 



i?iVCV.ft 










Plan of the Siege of Fout Donelson. 



unconditional and immediate surrender will be accepted. I 
propose to move immediately on your works." Buckner had 
already said, in his note to Grant, "Commissioners would be 



LIFE OF GRANT 



70 



appointed to settle the terms of capitulation in accordance 
with the circumstances governing the present situation of 
affairs ," and the object of Grant's reply was to relieve his 
Government of any complication. He was determined not 
to embarrass the authorities by recognizing in any doubtful 
way the Confederacy, its negroes, rights, or property. When 
we remember the confusion then existing in the public mind 
in regard to the Confederacy, we can not but admit the wis- 
dom of General Grant's action. 




Grant's Head-quaetkiis at Fort Donblbon. 

When he received Grant's terms he was not well pleased, 
but seeing no help for it, accepted "the ungenerous and un- 
chivalrous conditions." Grant at once rode to Buckner's 
head-quarters and cordially shook hands with the rebel gen- 
eral, who had been his school-mate at West Point. "Ah," 
said Buckner, "if I had been in command yesterday, Grant, 
you couldn't have reached Fort Donelson so easily." Grant, 
good-naturedly, replied, "Had you been in command, I 
should have waited for reinforcements before attacking, but 
I knew Pillow would not give me much of a fight." 

Grant had twenty-seven thousand men in the battle of 
Donelson, and lost two thousand and forty-one killed, 
wounded, and missing; of these four hundred and twenty- 



80 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



five were killed. The rebels had about twenty-one thou- 
sand men; of these fourteen thousand six hundred and 




*This is a view looking down the river, in which the remains of the 
upper water-battery are seen in the foreground. In the distance, on 
the left, near which is seen a steamboat, is the promontory behind 
which the Carondelet lay while bombarding the Confederate works on 
the 13th. The fort lay on the top of the hi!! on the extreme left. 
Across the river is seen the shore to which Pil!ow escaped when he 
stole out of the fort. — Lossinqs Civil War in America. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 81 

twenty-three were captured; three thousand escaped with 
Floyd, one thousand with Forrest, and two thousand five 
hundred were killed and wounded. Sixty-five pieces of 
cannon, seventeen thousand six hundred stand of small arms, 
and a large quantity of ammunition also fell into the hands. 
of the Union forces. 

When the news of the capture of Fort Donelson reached 
Cairo, General Cullum telegraphed to the North: "The 
Union flag floats over Fort Donelson. Fifteen thousand 
prisoners taken." This news electrified the people, and 
the wildest rejoicing prevailed. While the names of Grant 
and Foote were in every body's mouth, the President sent 
Grant's name to the Senate as a major-general, and he was 
immediately confirmed, the whole country applauding. 

The following amusing incident connected with Grant's 
victory is related by Larke : 

"Several rumors had appeared in the newspaper press, 
and had otherwise been publicly proclaimed, that General 
Grant was in the habit of getting intoxicated. This idea 
may have arisen from his slovenly mode of attiring himself, 
or from some other equally unreliable cause. The friends 
of the Illinois troops under General Grant's command, being 
anxious for their safety, selected a delegation to visit Gen- 
eral Halleck, and have Grant removed. 

"'You see, General,' said the spokesman, 'we have a 
number of Illinois volunteers under General Grant, and it 
is not safe that their lives should be intrusted to the care 
of a man who so constantly indulges in intoxicating liquors. 
Who knows what blunders he may commit?' 

'.'■'Well, gentlemen,' said General Halleck, 'I am satisfied 
with General Grant, and I have no doubt you also soon 
will be.' 

" While the deputation were staying at the hotel, the news 
arrived of the capture of Fort Donelson and thirteen thou- 
6 



82 LIFE OF GRANT. 

sand prisoners. General Halleck posted the intelligence 
himself on the hotel bulletin, and as he did so he remarked, 
loud enough for all to hear : 

" ' If General Grant is such a drunkard as he is reported 
to be, and can win such victories as these, I think it is my 
duty to issue an order that any man found sober in St. Louis 
to-night shall be punished with fine and imprisonment.' 

"The people of St. Louis took the hint, and, nearly all 
that night, entered into the spirit of jollification. The tem- 
perance delegation from Illinois were not behind their neigh- 
bors in celebrating the occasion, and with whisky, too." 

It is hardly worth while to refer further to General Grant's 
personal habits; but we can not forbear making the fol- 
lowing quotation from the letter of an officer who has long 
served on Grant's staif. He says : 

" I have seen him in every phase of his military life, and 
I can assert that the accusation of his being a drunkard is 
false. I have been in the same tent with him at all hours 
of the day and night, and I never knew him to be under the 
influence of liquor, or any thing even approaching it. I do 
not know what his former life may have been, but I do know 
that now he is a temperate man." 

The capture of Fort Donelson penetrated the rebel line, 
and necessitated the evacuation of Nashville, Bowling Green, 
and Columbus. Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi were 
thus freed from the rebel forces from St. Louis to Arkansas. 

Our soldiers and people, who were not yet aware of the 
effect of strategic battles, were amazed as they saw city after 
city, and long lines of country, fall into our hands without 
a blow. The national spirit rose, and Grant's army was 
every-where praised as one that the rebels were afraid to 
meet. The increasing popularity of Grant was unfortunate 
for him, in that it excited the alarm of Halleck. This gen- 
eral, old, able, and experienced as he was, allowed a feeling 



LIFE OF GRANT. 83 

of jealousy to spring up in his breast, and so thoroughly did 
it possess him, that it ultimately caused him to do Grant a 
great injustice. 

Soon after the battle of Donelson, a new district, called 
the District of West Tennessee, was created, and Grant 
assigned the command of it, Brigadier-General W. T. Sher- 
man succeeding him in command of the Cairo District. 

Grant at once occupied Clarksville, fifty miles above Don- 
elson, and sent Smith to take possession of Nashville. Gen- 
eral Nelson, of Buell's army, had already taken the city, and 
Grant immediately repaired there in person. The enemy 
was now at Chattanooga, and Grant began fitting out expe- 
ditions against him. 

On the 3d of March, 1862, Halleck telegraphed to Mc- 
Clellan: "Grant left his command without my authority, 
and went to Nashville. His army seems to be as much 
demoralized by the victory of Fort Donelson as was that 
of the Potomac by the defeat of Bull Run. It is hard to 
censure a successful general immediately after a victory, 
but I think he richly deserves it. I can get no returns, 
no reports, no information from him. Satisfied with his 
victory, he sits down and enjoys it, without any regard for 
the future." 

Grant had been hard at work, preparing to move against 
the enemy, and the next day (March 4th) was surprised to 
receive from Halleck the following dispatch: "You will 
place Major-General C. F. Smith in command of expedition, 
and remain yourself at Fort Henry." 

Grant was now a disgraced man, but bore his misfortunes 
as quietly as he had his victories. 

On the 13th of March, Grant was relieved from his dis- 
grace, and at once moved his head-quarters to Savanna, and 
began concentrating his troops for the great battle of Shiloh. 



84 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER V. 

GRANT RECEIVES A HANDSOME PRESENT — GRANT AT SAVANNAH — GENERAL 
C. P. SMITH AND GRANT COMPOSITION OF THE TWO ARMIES THE BAT- 
TLE-FIELD OF SHILOH — POSITION OF THE TROOPS A. S. JOHNSTONS 

ADDRESS TO HIS SOLDIERS — SKIRMISHING BEFORE THE BATTLE THE 

BATTLE CONDUCT OF LEWIS WALLACE AND NELSON BUELL ARRIVES 

ON THE FIELD WHAT HE SAID TO GRANT THE SECOND Day's BATTLE 

GRANT AND THE FIRST OHIO REGIMENT THE NEW YORK HERALD'S 

ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE — REJOICING OVER THE NEWS — COMPLIMENTARY 
ORDER TO GRANT AND BUELL— GRANTS CONDUCT IN THE BATTLE. 

Before Grant started for his new head-quarters at Sa- 
vannah, his fellow-officers presented him a handsome sword 
at Fort Henry, as an appreciation of his skill as a com- 
mander and their regard for him as a man. The sword 
had two scabbards — the service one being of fine gilt, while 
the parade scabbard was of rich gilt, mounted at the band. 
The handle was of ivory, mounted with gold, and the blade 
was of the finest tempered steel. The sword was enclosed 
in a fine rosewood case, and accompanied by an elegant 
sash and belt. On the scabbards were suitable inscriptions 
containing the names of his regimental commanders. 

General C. F. Smith, who had been temporarily placed in 
command of the troops in the field, no sooner heard that 
his old commander was relieved from disgrace, than he 
made haste to write him : " I am glad to find that you are 
about to resume your old command, from which you were 
so unceremoniously and, as I think, so unjustly stricken 
down." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 85 

The relations between General Smith and Grant were of 
a peculiar character. When Smith was commandant at the 
Military Academy, Grant was a cadet. He often said he 
felt an awe when in the presence of his old commandant, 
and that it was very difficult at first for him to give Smith 
an order. General Smith soon perceived this, and one day 
said to Grant, with great frankness: "General, I appreciate 
your delicacy, but I am now a subordinate, and I know a 
soldier's duty; I hope you will feel no awkwardness about 
our new relations." Smith was sixty years old — a man of 
great military talent, and from the first understood Grant's 
worth as a soldier. The old veteran did all in his power to 
subordinate himself to his young chief, but, despite his ef- 
forts, Grant never could or would assume any great author- 
ity over him; and when, soon afterward, the gallant veteran 
sickened and died from disease brought on by exposure at 
Fort Donelson, Grant wept like a child. 

Grant was now about to engage in the most important 
movement that had yet been made against the Confederacy; 
and that the rebels were thoroughly alive to the danger of 
his operations may be gathered from the speeches of their 
leading men and the publications in their journals at the 
time. 

The Florence (Alabama) Gazette, of March 12, 1862, had 
the following very significant article : 

" We learned yesterday that the Unionists had landed a 
very large force at Savannah, Tennessee. We suppose they 
are making preparations to get possession of the Memphis and 
Charleston Railroad. They must never be allowed to get this 
great thoroughfare in their possession, for then we would in- 
deed be crippled. The labor and untiring industry of too 
many faithful and energetic men have been expended on this 
road to bring it up to its present state of usefulness to let 
it fall into the hands of the enemy to be used against us. 



86 LIFE OF GRANT* 

It must be protected. We, as a people, are able to protect 
and save it. If unavoidable, let them have our river ; but 
we hope it is the united sentiment of our people that we ivill 
have our railroad" 

General Grant arrived at Savannah on the 17th of March, 
and established his head-quarters. From this point he could 
best oversee his whole force and assist in getting up the re- 
enforcements. The rebel forces were estimated at over sixty 
thousand men, and were concentrated at Shiloh, General A. 
S. Johnston commanding, and General P. G. T. Beauregard 
second in command. The rebel army was divided into three 
corps, and the reserves as follows : 

First Army Corps, Lieutenant-General L. Polk. 
Second Army Corps, Lieutenant-General Braxton Bragg. 
Third Army Corps, Lieutenant-General W. J. Hardee. 
Reserves, Major-General G. B. Crittenden. 
The organization of Grant's army was as follows : 
Commanding General, Major-General U. S. Grant. 
First Division, Major-General J. A. McClernand. 
Second Division, Brigadier-General W. II. L. Wallace. 
Third Division, Major-General Lewis Wallace. 
Fourth Division, Brigadier- General S. A. Hurlbut. 
Fifth Division, Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman. 
The field on which the two armies were to contend was 
on the west bank of the Tennessee, and, for the most part, 
densely wooded with tall trees, and but little undergrowth. 
The landing is immediately flanked on the left by a short 
but precipitous ravine, along which runs the road to Corinth. 
On the right and left, forming a good, natural flanking ar- 
rangement, runs Snake and Lick Creeks, which would com- 
pel the attack of the enemy to be made in front. The dis- 
tance between the mouths of these creeks is about two and 
a half miles. The battle-ground of Pittsburg Landing was 
selected by General C. F. Smith; and all writers agree that 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



87 



the position was admirably chosen. The locality where the 
fighting would take place was in easy range and protected 
by the gunboats Tyler and Lexington. Buell's Army of 







the Ohio was coming up to reenforce Grant, and, although 
the river lay in rear of Grant's troops, that was also the 
direction of Buell's advance. 

Grant had placed his five divisions as follows : Lewis Wal- 




Whilom .JIkktinu-iiousk 



88 LIFE OF GRANT. 

lace's division — First Brigade at Crump's Landing; Second 
Brigade, two miles above it; Third Brigade at Adamsville 
— the whole division to be held in readiness to move down 
and join the main forces whenever circumstances should 
render it necessary. Prentiss held the 
extreme left of the line, with Stuart ; 
McClernand was at some distance on 
his right, and facing south-west; Sher- 
man was at Shiloh Church, on the right 
of McClernan4, and in advance of him ; 
Ilurlbut and W. H. L. Wallace, a mile 
in rear of McClernand, in reserve — the 
former supporting the left, and the lat- 
ter the right wing. Grant's whole force consisted of about 
thirty-eight' thousand men. 

It was the evident design of .the rebel commanders to 
attack and overwhelm Grant's forces before the Army of 
the Ohio, under Buell, could come up to his support. 
While Grant was anxiously awaiting the approach of Buell's 
army, a question of rank arose between McClernand and 
Smith, and to settle the matter, Grant had to move his 
head-quarters from Savannah to Pittsburg Landing, and per- 
sonally assume command of the forces in the field. 

It was now the 6th day of April, 1862, and the first day 
of the great battle of Shiloh, or, as it is more frequently 
called, Pittsburg Landing. Skirmishing had been going 
on since the 2d, and on the 3d the rebel commander had 
issued a stirring address to his army. 

" Soldiers of the Army of the Mississippi: 

"I have put you in motion to offer battle to the invaders 
of your country, with the resolution and discipline, and 
valor becoming men, fighting, as you are, for all worth liv- 
ing or dying for. You can but march to a decisive vie- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 89 

ton r over agrarian mercenaries, sent to subjugate and des- 
poil you of your liberties, property, and honor. 

"Remember the precious stake involved ; remember the 
dependence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters, and 
your children, on the result. Remember the fair, broad, 
abounding lands, the happy homes, that will be desolated 
by your defeat. The eyes and hopes of eight million peo- 
ple rest upon you. You are expected to show yourselves 
worthy of your valor and courage, worthy of the women 
of the South, whose noble devotion in this war has never 
been exceeded in any time. With such incentives to brave 
deeds, and with trust that God is with us, your general 
will lead you confidently to the combat, assured of success 

" By order of 
" General A. S. Johnston, Commanding." 

On the 4th of April the enemy felt Sherman's front with 
such force that many thought a battle imminent. Grant 
rode out to the front, and as he was returning after dark, 
through the rain, his horse, in crossing a log, slipped and 
fell on his rider, who received a severe contusion, and for 
over a Aveek he suffered acute pains and was lame. It was 
this circumstance that originated the newspaper report that 
Grant was drunk and thrown from his horse at the battle of 
Shiloh. 

On the evening of the 4th, General Lewis Wallace re- 
ported eight regiments of rebel infantry at Purdy, and an 
equal, if not a larger force, at Bethel. Grant ordered W. 
II. L. Wallace to support Lewis Wallace's division, if nec- 
essary, and then returned to Savannah, promising to come 
up to the front early next morning. On the 5th, the rebel 
cavalry had been very active, coming down boldly on Sher- 
man's front, and driving in the Union vedettes. The 
same evening, the head of Nelson's column, belonging to 



90 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Bu ell's Army, arrived at Savannah, and reported Buell 
rapidly coming up. Grant at once ordered Nelson to take 
position south of Savannah, five miles from Pittsburg Land- 
ing, and hold himself in readiness to reenforce the army 
on the left bank. 

The morning sun rose bright and clear on the 6th of 
April, and gayly shone on the tents of two great armies. 
The birds sang cheerily in the tree-tops, and there was 
nothing to indicate the terrible tragedy that was soon to be 
enacted in those quiet groves. Who could have believed, 
on that bright April morning, that the green sod beneath 
our feet would soon be slippery with human gore, and the 
firm earth trembling beneath the charge of enraged thou- 
sands? Yet it was so; the charge, the repulse, the calling 
to repeated action ; the bearing of a thousand bosoms in a 
moment to whatever there is terrible in death and war ; the 
groans of the wounded and dying — 

"This is war that in a day 

Can rob a nation of its peace ; 
Ave. rob a nation of itself, 
And still it will not cease." 

The rebels had breakfasted at three o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and at early dawn laid aside their knapsacks and 
stripped for the bloody contest. Portions of the Union 
army were still wrapped in slumber when the battle began, 
and others Mere lazily preparing their breakfast. 

"Neither Grant nor Sherman had expected a battle on the 
6th, and it was, therefore, with some surprise the next 
morning Grant, while eating an early breakfast with his 
staff, preparatory to riding out in search of Buell, heard 
such heavy firing in the direction of the landing as to con- 
vince him a severe action was in progress. Hastily dispatch- 
ing Buell a note, informing him a battle had begun, and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 91 

ordering Nelson to move his command to the river bank, 
Grant went on board a transport and hastened to the front. 
He stopped for a moment, on his way up the river, at 
Crump's Landing, to see Lewis Wallace, and instruct him 
in person as to what he would be expected to do in the 
battle. 

The onset had begun by forty thousand rebels precipitating 
themselves suddenly on Prentiss' little division and com- 
pletely doubling it up. Sherman's division was next 
attacked, and for a time held the rebels in check, but the 
troops being new and green, soon gave way and were forced 
back through their camp, which fell into the hands of the 
rebels. McClernand promptly moved up to support Sher- 
man's wavering left, and Hurlbut marched forward to the 
support of Prentiss. W. H. L. Wallace had taken position 
in rear of Sherman, and was supporting the center and left 
of the line where the rebel attack was most furious. 

Lewis Wallace had been sent for, and ordered to come 
up and connect with Sherman's right, but he never came. 
Early in the action, part of the brigade, composed of raw 
men, and stationed on Sherman's left, broke and fled to the 
rear in great confusion ; this necessitated a change of 
position, and Sherman swung back his left, turning on the 
right as a pivot. Soon afterward Sherman's whole line 
was forced back, but he skillfully connected his left with 
McClernand's right, keeping his own right well out to pre- 
vent any flank movement of the enemy. The enemy never 
could get round Sherman's flank, and, despite their efforts, 
he held until night the important crossing of Snake Creek 
bridge. Sherman was unceasing in his efforts to keep his 
men up to the work and beat the enemy ; although re- 
peatedly wounded, he refused to leave the field for a moment, 
even to have his wounds dressed. 

At ten A. M. the battle was raging fiercely, and Grant 



92 LIFE OF GRANT. 

rode to Sherman's front and commended him highly for his 
skill in opposing the enemy. The cartridges were now 
giving out, but Grant, with careful foresight, had started 
Colonel Pride, of his staff, to the front with an ammunition 
train, and this gallant officer, forcing his wagons over the 
narrow and crowded road, arrived just in time to supply the 
empty cartridge-boxes of the Union soldiers. 

At intervals all clay Grant was engaged in sending forward 
deserters to their commands, forming new lines out of those 
who straggled to the rear, and putting them into action 
again. He was on every part of the field constantly under 
fire, and making unwearied exertions to maintain his position 
until Nelson and Lewis Wallace should come up. As hour 
after hour wore on, and still Nelson and Wallace did not 
come, the Union forces fell suddenly back toward the 
landing, contracting their lines as they retreated. Nelson 
had been ordered to march at seven o'clock, but did not 
move out until after one, although, from the sound of the 
cannon, he must have known a fearful struggle was going on 
in his front. No sufficient excuse has ever been offered for 
this officer's conduct. Lewis Wallace, who had been per- 
sonally instructed by General Grant to hold his forces in 
readiness to reenforce the troops on the left bank when he 
was sent for, set his column in motion and marched five 
miles the wrong direction, although he had been on the 
ground a month, and his men had helped to build a bridge 
over Snake Creek for just such an emergency as now 
occurred. When, finally, Colonel (afterward Major-General) 
McPherson reached him and set him right, it took him from 
one o'clock until seven at night to march five miles in the 
direction of the battle, the cannonading beins heard at the 
same time at Nashville, two hundred miles away. 

On the evening of the 5th inst., Grant had gone down to 
Savannah to meet General Buell, but that officer having 



LIFE OF GRANT. 93 

failed to come up, to the hour of the opening of the battle, 
at the landing on the morning of the 6th, Grant, before 
starting to the front, wrote and dispatched to Buell by 
courier the following note: "Heavy firing is heard up the 
river, indicating plainly that an attack has been made upon 
our most advanced positions. I have been looking for this, 
but did not believe that the attack could be made before 
Monday or Tuesday. This necessitates my forming the 
forces up the river, instead of meeting you to-day as I had 
contemplated." Buell had 'written General Grant on the 
5th: "I shall be in Savannah myself to-morrow with, per- 
haps, two divisions. Can you meet me there?" To which 
Grant had at once replied: "Your dispatch just received. 
I will be at Savannah to meet you to-morrow. The enemy 
at and near Corinth are«probab)ly sixty to eighty thousand." 
This accounts for Grant being at Savannah, instead of with 
his command when the battle commenced, a matter about 
which some writers have made severe and unjust comments. 
About ten o'clock on the morning of the battle, Grant, 
hearing that General Wood, with the Second Division of 
Buell's army, had arrived at Savannah, sent him the follow- 
ing order: "You will move your command with the utmost 
dispatch to the river at this point (landing), where steamers 
will be in readiness to transport you to Pittsburg." Still 
later in the day another dispatch was sent to the command- 
ing officer of Buell's advance forces, urging him to hurry up, 
and closing by saying : " My head-quarters will be in the log 
building on the top of the hill, where you will be furnished 
a staff officer to conduct you to your place on the field." At 
three o'clock Buell arrived on the field in person. He had 
reached Savannah in the morning with another division of 
his command, and hearing a battle was raging at the front, 
had hastened on ahead of his troops. As he rode through 
the swarms of cravens who had run awav from the front and 



91 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



crowded the landing, or cowered under the banks of the 
river, Buell no doubt made up his mind that Grant's army 
was wbjpped. Almost the first words he said to Grant 
when they met, were: "What preparations have you made 
for retreating, General ?" " I have not despaired of whipping 
them yet," was Grant's quiet response. 




Hnrlbiit's command was now slowly falling back, but 
raked the rebels well each time they charged. On Hurlbut's 



LIFE OF GRANT. 05 

right W. II. L. Wallace was gallantly fighting, and repelled 
four desperate assaults, but was finally forced to fall back 
toward the landing. About four o'clock the troops on his 
right and left having retired, Prentiss stubbornly continued 
the fight with his shattered division, until the rebels swept 
round his flanks and captured him and four regiments. The 
Union line now lay in a semicircle on the river, their flanks 
resting on Snake and Lick Creeks. "With their backs to the 
river, the soldiers knew it would be death and destruction to 
give way, and they stood firm as a rock on their short line, 
hurling back the rebels like waves from the shore. The 
rebels came on again and again,* but each time retired 
shattered and torn, only to be brought up again by their 
officers and launched against the invincible line of boys in 
blue. A battery of guns had been admirably posted by 
Colonel Webster, of Grant's staff, and mowed down the 
rebels ; the gunboats Tyler and Lexington had also opened 
fire, and dropped their terrible missiles in the midst of the 
dense ranks of the enemy, where they exploded with fearful 
carnage. The rebels seeing they could not drive the Union 
line into the river, slackened their fire and sullenly retired 
as night crept over the hills, and put an end to the contest. 
When the battle began to wane, Grant was at Sherman's 
front, and at once gave him orders to advance and renew 
the battle early on the following morning. He said " the 
rebel fury is spent, the turning point has been reached ; 
whoever renews the fight will win." He told to Sherman 
the story of Donelson; how at one time he saw that either 
side was ready to give way if the other showed a bold front; 
and he determined, in consequence, to do that very thing ; 
how he had advanced his jaded troops, and the enemy had 
surrendered. The appearances on the field of Shiloh, he 
said, were the same, and the enemy would be beaten on the 
morrow. 



96 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



During the night of the 6th, Buell busied himself in get- 
tin c his troops up. Nelson's column, and nearly all of 
Crittenden's and McCook's divisions were ferried across 
the river, and put in position. All night long the gun- 
boats dropped shells, at intervals, on the rebel lines, and 
the woods caught fire, lighting up the battle-field for miles 
away. But for a merciful shower of rain, thousands of help- 
less wounded Would have been burned to death on that blaz- 
ing battle-field. Grant had after dark visited every division, 
and encouraged, by his presence, the officers and men. To 
each he said: "As soon as it is light enough to sec attack 
with a heavy skirmish line, and when you have found the 
enemy, throw upon him your whole force, leaving no re- 
serve." 

The new line of battle now stood in the following order : 
Lewis Wallace's division on the right; Sherman, McCler- 
nand, and Hurlbut, from right to left ; McCook next, with 



Crittenden on his 



eft, and Nelson on the extreme left. 

The fighting began early, 
and, for a time, was obsti- 
nate; but the rebels were 
gradually pushed back until 
all the ground lost the day 
before had been regained. 
By two o'clock the Union 
victory was complete, and 
J Beauregard in full retreat. 
During the battle on the 
ll^^fSfiiEft 7th, Grant met the First Ohio 
g^lRIJBSSSsi"^*** Regiment marching toward 
the northern part of the field, 
and immediately in front of 
a position which it was important should be taken. The 
regiment on the left was fighting hard, but about to yield, 




Effects of a Shot sear Siiiloh Meetixs- 

HOCSE. 



LIFE OF (JRANT. 



97 



in fact, had given way, when Grant called upon the Ohio 
boys to change direction, and charge. The soldiers recog- 
nized their leader, and, with a cheer, obeyed, Grant rid- 
ing along through the storm of lead cheering them on. 
The retreating troops seeing what was going on, took cour- 
age, and rallying, with loud shouts, drove the enemy from 
their strong position. 

Grant rode along in the piece of woods toward the left 
of the line, where he met McCook and Crittenden. It was 
now late in the day, but Grant was anxious to push on after 
the beaten and retreating rebels. McCook and Crittenden 
said their troops were too much fatigued to continue the 
pursuit, and so the Union forces encamped. 




Burning Horses on the Field of Shiloh. 

Grant's loss, including Buell's army, was twelve thousand 
two hundred and seventeen ; of these, seventeen hundred 
were killed, seven thousand four hundred and ninety-five 
wounded, and three thousand and twenty-two missing. Two 
thousand one hundred and sixty-seven of the losses were in 
the Army of the Ohio. Beauregard reported a total loss of 
ten thousand six hundred and ninety-nine killed, wounded, 
7 



98 LIFE OF GRANT. 

and missing; but as our burying parties buried four thousand 
of his dead, his loss must have been much larger. 

The New York Herald, which contained the first authentic 
account of the battle, said of General Grant and his staff: 

" General Grant and staif, who had been recklessly riding 
along the lines during the entire day, amid the unceasing 
storm of bullets, grape, and shell, now rode from right to 
left, inciting the men to stand firm until our reinforcements 
could cross the river. 

"About three o'clock in the afternoon, General Grant 
rode to the left where the fresh regiments had been ordered, 
and, finding the rebels wavering, sent a portion of his body- 
guard to the head of each of five regiments, and then or- 
dered a charge across the field, himself leading ; and as he 
brandished his sivord and waved them on to the crowning vic- 
tory, the cannon-balls were falling like hail around him:' 

The Herald sums up its account as follows : 

"There has never been a parallel to the gallantry and 
bearing of our officers, from the commanding general to the 
lowest officer. 

"General Grant and staff were on the field, riding along 
the lines in the thickest of the enemy's fire during the en- 
tire two days of the battle, and all slept on the ground 
Sunday night, during a heavy rain. On several occasions 
General Grant got within range of the enemy's guns, and 
was discovered and fired upon. 

" Lieutenant-Colonel McPherson had his horse shot from 
under him when along-side of General Grant. 

" Captain Carson was near General Grant when a cannon- 
ball took off his head, and killed and wounded several others. 

"General Sherman had two horses killed under him, and 
General McClernand shared like dangers ; also General 
Hurlbut, each of whom received bullet holes through their 
clothes. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 99 

"The publication of the Herald's account so soon after 
the battle, created a great excitement among the citizens 
of New York, and during the day it was telegraphed to 
the National Capitol and to other parts of the Union." 

Mr. Bennett telegraphed the account to the President 
and to both Houses of Congress, in which it was read 
aloud. In the lower House, Mr. Colfax, on asking leave 
to read the dispatch, was greeted on all sides of the House 
with cries of "To the Clerk's desk." The previous noise 
and excitement subsided, and as the House listened to the 
brief and pregnant details of the bloody struggle which 
preceded the glorious victory over the concentrated strength 
of rebeldom, all hearts were stilled, and the very breathing 
almost suppressed, till the last word of the dispatch was 
read. The rejoicing was great at the victory, though 
somewhat saddened at the price of blood with which it had 
been purchased. 

On the 9th of April, the War Department issued the 
following complimentary order to all concerned : 

"War Department, Washington, April 9th, 1862. 
[Extract.] 

" The thanks of the department are hereby given to Gen- 
erals Grant and Buell and their forces, for the glorious re- 
pulse of Beauregard, at Pittsburg, in Tennessee." 



100 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER VI. 

halleck assumes command of the army — grant's enemies again busy 

Washburn's defense of him — advance on corinth — digging and 

ditching letters from a union soldier — elliot's raid pursuit 

of the enemy from corinth grants position he is placed in 

COMMAND OF THE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE — HALLECK SUCCEEDS m'cLEL- 

LAN — GRANT AND THE REBELS — GRANT AND THE NEWSPAPERS HOW HE 

TREATED GUERRILLAS — PRICE* S RAID ADVANCE ON IUKA THE BAT- 
TLE — DEFEAT AND ESCAPE OF THE REBELS — BATTLE OF CORINTH — DE- 
FEAT AND RETREAT OF THE REBELS GRANT'S CONGRATULATORY ORDER 

TO HIS ARMY MR. LINCOLN'S DISPATCH. 

Immediately on hearing of the battle at Pittsburg Land- 
ing, General Halleck set out from St. Louis to assume 
command of the combined armies operating along the Ten- 
nessee. Before his arrival, however, Grant had sent Slier- 
man up the river with some troops and gunboats to destroy 
the bridges over the Big Bear Creek, which he did, thus 
cutting Corinth off from Richmond. On the 22d of April 
General Pope came up from New Madrid with his army, 
twenty-five thousand strong, and on the 30th General Wal- 
lace was sent through Purdy and four miles beyond to de- 
stroy the bridge across the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which 
was effectually done, cutting off the rebel reinforcements 
coming from Jackson, Tennessee. The "Grand Army," as 
it was now called, consisted of 

The Army of the Ohio (center), under General Buell. 

The Army of the Mississippi (left), under General Pope. 

The Army of the Tennessee (right), under General Grant. 

This grand army was composed of sixteen divisions, eight 



LIFE OF GRANT. 101 

of which formed the Array of the Tennessee, and were placed 
under the immediate command of General Grant; four un- 
der General Pope, and four under General Buell. General 
Grant's command was, therefore, as large as the two other 
armies combined, and was divided into the "right" or active 
wing, under General Thomas, and the "reserve" under 
General McClernand. 

False reports had again been circulated against General 
Grant by his enemies, and the battle of Pittsburg Landing 
represented as a useless loss of human life. So busy were 
his detractors, and so general the outcry raised against him 
by the journals and the friends of the men who fell at Shiloh, 
that even Congressmen joined in and urged his removal. 
The governors from the Western States came down in a 
body to Pittsburg Landing and requested General Halleck 
to send General Grant away from the army. It was well 
known that General Halleck was not favorably-disposed 
toward General Grant; but he was a just man, and instead 
of yielding to the popular clamor against one whom he knew 
to be a good officer, he stood firmly by him, and on the 1st 
of May raised him to second in command of the combined 
armies. It was about this time the Hon. E. B. Washburn 
came to Grant's defense in the halls of Congress. Rising in 
his seat on the 2d of May, Mr. Washburn said: 

"Mr. Speaker: I will only trouble the House for a few 
moments; but when justice claims to be heard, it is said that 
a nation should be silent. Lamar tine, in his celebrated his- 
tory of the Girondins, speaking of one of those incidents so 
characteristic of the French Revolution, says: 

"'The news of the victory of Hondschoote filled Paris 
with joy. But even the joy of the people was cruel. The 
convention reproached as a treason the victory of a victo- 
rious general. Its commissioners to the army of the North, 
Hentz, Peyss;u-d, and Puquesnoy, deposed Houchard, and 



102 LIFE OF GRANT. 

sent him to the revolutionary tribunal.' . . . 'The un- 
fortunate Houchard was condemned to death, and met his 
fate with the intrepidity of a soldier and the calmness of an 
innocent man.' . . . 'It was shown that even victory 
was not protection against the scaffold.' 

"It may be inquired whether in this rebellion history is 
not repeating itself. I come before the House to do a great 
act of justice to a soldier in the field, and to vindicate him 
from the obloquy and misrepresentations so persistently and 
cruelly thrust before the country. I refer to a distinguished 
general who has recently fought the bloodiest and hardest 
battle ever fought on this continent, and won one of the most 
brilliant victories. I refer to the battle of Pittsburg Land- 
ing, and to Major-General Ulysses S. Grant 

"Let no gentleman have any fears of General Grant. He 
is no candidate for the Presidency. He is no politician. 
Inspired by the noblest patriotism, he only desires to do 
his whole duty to his country. When the war shall be over 
he will return to his home, and sink the soldier in the simple 
citizen. Though living in the same town with myself, he 
has no political claims on me ; for, so far as he is a politican, 
he belongs to a different party. He has no personal claims 
upon me more than any other constituent. But I came 
here to speak as an Illinoisian, proud of his noble and pa- 
triotic State ; proud of its great history now being made 
up; proud, above all earthly things, of her brave soldiers, 
who are shedding their blood upon all the battle-fields of 
the Republic. If the laurels of Grant shall ever be with- 
ered, it will not be done by the Illinois soldiers who have 
followed his victorious banner. 

"I see before me my friend from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
McPherson] which reminds me of a friend of us both — 
young Baugher, a lieutenant in the lead-mine regiment, 
who, wounded six times, refused to leave the field; and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 103 

when finally carried off, waved his sword in defiance to the 
enemy. But who shall attempt to do justice to the bravery 
of the soldiers and the daring and skill of the officers; who 
shall describe all the valor exhibited on those days; who 
shall presume to speak of all the glory won on that blood- 
stained field? I have spoken of those more particularly 
from my own part of the State ; but it is because I know 
them best, and not because I claim more credit for them 
than I know to be due to the troops from all parts of the 
State. They all exhibited the same bravery, the same un- 
bounded devotion, the same ardor in vindicating the honor 
and glory of the flag, and maintaining the prestige of our 
State. 

" Sir, I have detained the House too long, but I have felt 
called upon to say this much. I came only to claim public 
justice; the battle of Pittsburg Landing, though a bloody 
one, yet it will make a bright page in our history. The 
final charge of General Grant at the head of his reserves 
will have a place, too, in history. While watching the pro- 
gress of the battle on Monday afternoon, word came to him 
that the enemy was faltering on the left. With the genius 
that belongs only to the true military man, he saw that 
the time for the final blow had come. In quick words he 
said, '¥ow is the time to drive them.' It was worthy the 
world- renowned order of Wellington, 'Up, Guards, and at 
them.' 

"Word was sent by his body-guard to the different regi- 
ments to be ready to charge when the order was given; 
then, riding out in front, amid a storm of bullets, he led 
the charge in person, and Beauregard was driven howling 
to his intrenchments. His left was broken, and a retreat 
commenced which soon degenerated into a perfect rout. 
The loss of the enemy was three to our two in men, and in 
much greater proportion in the demoralization of an army 



104 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



which follows a defeat. That battle has laid the foundation 
for finally driving the rebels from the South-west. So much 
for the battle of Pittsburg Landing, which has evoked such 
unjust and cruel criticism, but which history will record as 
one of the most glorious victories that has ever illustrated 
the annals of a great nation." 

The great Union army was now slowly moving up toward 
Corinth, so slowly, indeed, that it took it six weeks to march 




NATIONAL 
CONFEDERATE 



fifteen miles. Halleck, thoroughly alarmed by the outcry 
against Grant, intrenched every foot of the ground as he 
went, although the enemy made no oifensive movement. 
On the 3d of May the Union advance was eight miles from 



LIFE OF GRANT. 105 

Corinth, and the same day Pope sent Paine's and Palmer's 
divisions to Farmington, where, on the 9th, they attacked 
and drove out four thousand rebels under Price, Van Dorn, 
and Marmaduke. The three armies were moving in echelon 
with great caution, and intrenching at every step. 

Consultation and digging was now the occupation of the 
armies. If they advanced a mile or two, it was only to es- 
tablish a new parallel and halt for a week. So time dragged 
along until the 17th of May, when Sherman, with his Fifth 
Division, got a lick at the enemy at Russel's house, and sent 
him flying toward Corinth. At length, on the 21st, the ar- 
mies were fairly in line three miles from Corinth, and the 
soldiers in expectation of and anxious for the battle to begin. 
Halleck, having pronounced his funeral oration over the dead 
Confederacy, went out to look for the corpse, but found the 
body gone, Beauregard having retreated some days before. 
All the great Union armies got for. their six weeks' digging 
and trenching, were a few old telegraph offices, some empty 
bottles and dirty linen that the rebels had left behind. 

The following letter from a Union soldier describes so 
exactly the manner of conducting a gradual advance, that 
we quote it entire : 

"First, the enemy must be driven back. Regiments and 
artillery are placed in position, and generally the cavalry 
is in advance, but when the opposing forces are in close 
proximity, the infantry does the work. The whole front is 
covered by a cloud of skirmishers, and then reserves formed, 
and then, in connection with the main line, they advance. 
For a moment all is still as the grave to those in the back- 
ground. As the line moves on, the eye is strained in vain to 
follow the skirmishers as they creep silently forward; then, 
from some point of the line, a single rifle rings through the 
forest, sharp and clear, and, as if in echo, another answers 
it. In a moment more the whole line resounds with the din 



106 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of arms. Here the fire is slow and steady, there it rattles 
with fearful rapidity, and this mingled with the great roar 
of the reserves as the skirmishers chance at any point to be 
driven in ; and if, by reason of superior force, these reserves 
fall back to the main force, then every nook and corner 
seems full of sound. The batteries open their terrible 
voices, and their shells sing horribly while winging their 
flight, and their dull explosion speaks plainly of death. Their 
canister and grape go crashing through the trees, rifles ring, 
the muskets roar, and the din is terrific. Then the slacken- 
ing of the fire denotes the withdrawing of the one party, 
and the more distant picket firing, that the work was accom- 
plished. The silence becomes almost painful after such a 
scene as this, and no one can conceive of the effect who has 
not experienced it; it can not be described. The occasional 
firing of the pickets, which shows that the new lines are 
established, actually occasions a sense of relief. The move- 
ments of the mind, under such circumstances, are sudden 
and strong. It awaits with intense anxiety the opening of 
the contest, it rises with the din of battle, it sinks with the 
lull which follows it, and finds itself in fit condition to 
sympathize most deeply with the torn and bleeding ones that 
are fast being borne to the rear. 

"When the ground is clear, then the time for working 
parties has arrived, and as this is the description of a real 
scene, let me premise that the works were to reach through 
the center of a large open farm of at least three hundred 
acres, surrounded by woods, one side of it being occupied 
by rebel pickets. These had been driven back, as I have 
described. 

" The line of the works was selected, and at the word of 
command three thousand men, with axes, spades, and picks, 
stepped out into the open field from their cover in the woods. 
In almost as short a time as it takes to tell it, the fence-rails 



LIFE OF GRANT. 107 

which surrounded and divided three hundred acres into 
convenient farm-lots were on the shoulders of the men, and 
on the way to the intended line of works. In a few moments 
more a long line of crib-work stretches over the slope of the 
hill, as if another anaconda fold had been twisted around the 
rebels. Then, as for a time, the ditches deepen, the cribs 
fill up, the dirt is packed on the outer side, the bushes and 
all points of concealment are cleared from the front, and the 
center divisions of our army had taken a long stride toward 
the rebel works. The siege-guns arc brought up and placed 
in commanding positions. A log-house furnishes the hewn 
and seasoned timber for the platforms, and the plantation 
of a Southern lord has been thus speedily transferred into 
one of Uncle Sam's strongholds, where the stars and stripes 
float proudly.'"' 

On the 27th, Colonel Elliott, with the Second Michigan 
Cavalry, had been sent out along the Tuscumbia road to 
Cartersville and Boonesville, a distance of twenty-five miles 
from Corinth. His expedition was entirely successful, 
capturing and destroying at Boonesville five cars loaded 
with arms, five containing loose ammunition, six filled with 
officers' baggage, and five with subsistence stores. The 
rebels attempted to cut off and capture Elliott, but the bold 
raider skillfully eluded them, and returned in safety to 
Pope's army. 

As soon as General Halleck found the rebels had escaped 
from Corinth, he ordered the pursuit. Gordon Granger, 
with a battery of artillery and a brigade of infantry, drove 
small bodies of the enemy through Boonesville and across 
Twenty-mile Creek to Baldwin and Guntown, where he 
halted, learning that Beauregard was in strong position at 
Tupelo, by Old Town Creek, a tributary of the Tombigbee. 
On the 0th of June, 1862, Halleck reported ihat the enemy 
had fallen back fifty miles from Corinth by the nearest 



108 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



railroad route, and seventy miles by wagon road, and that 
he was watching him. 

Grant was particularly active 
during the operations around Cor- 
inth, and had been constantly 
in the field making valuable su£- 
gestions, and aiding in every 
way he could to make the cam- 
paign a success. His position 
was a painful one, being nom- 
inally second in command, but 
virtually a figure-head to Hal- 
leck's staff; he, however, bore 
his misfortunes with resignation, 
and patiently waited for better 
I S days, which soon came, by Hal- 
leck being ordered to Washington 
and Grant placed in command of 
the army and district of Tennes- 
see. Before starting for Wash- 
ington to assume the position of 
Commander-in-Chief of all the 
armies of the Republic in place 
of McClellan, removed, Halleck 
called at the tent of Robert 
Allen, a quartermaster, with the 
rank of Colonel, and offered him 
command of the army at Corinth, 
but Colonel Allen declined, where- 
upon Halleck allowed Grant to retain the command. This 
curious piece of business has never been satisfactorily 
explained. 

All the country from the Mississippi River to the western 
shores of the Tennessee, Cairo, Forts Henry and Donelson, 




LIFE OF GRANT. 109 

the western .shore of the Mississippi River, and the northern 
part of the State of Mississippi, was formed into the "De- 
partment of West Tennessee." Of this department Gen- 
eral Grant was made the commander, with his head-quarters 
at Corinth. 

Memphis, which had surrendered on June 6th, 1862, soon 
after the evacuation of Corinth, and had been occupied at 
once by the Union forces, now formed part of this depart- 
ment, and became, by this time, a very important post, both 
as a base of operations and of supplies. 

The rebels gave General Grant great trouble by carrying 
on an illicit trade through the lines, and, after issuing vari- 
ous orders forbidding such trade, and cautioning persons not 
to engage in it, General Grant, finding his orders unheeded, 
on the 10th day of July summarily commanded that— 

The families now residing in the city of Memphis, of the 
following persons, are required to move south, beyond the 
lines, within five days from the date hereof: 

First. All persons holding commissions in the so-called 
Confederate army, or who have voluntarily enlisted in said 
army, or who accompany and are connected with the same. 
Second. All persons holding office under or in the em- 
ploy of the so-called Confederate Government. 

Third. All persons holding State, county, or municipal 
offices, who claim allegiance to said so-called Confederate 
Government, and who have abandoned their families and 
gone South. 

The rebel guerrillas now began to rob plantations, mur- 
der Union men, and commit all sorts of outrages, when Gen- 
eral Grant ordered that wherever loss was sustained by the 
Government, collections should be made, by seizure of a suf- 
ficient amount, of personal property, from persons in the 
immediate neighborhood sympathizing with the rebellion, 



110 LIFE OF GRANT. 

to remunerate the Government for all loss and expense of 
the same. 

Persons acting as guerrillas, without organization, and 
without uniform to distinguish them from private citizens, 
w T ere not entitled to the treatment of prisoners of war when 
caught, and would not receive such treatment. 

As many of the guerrillas were the sons of rich rebel 
planters, this order suited their cases exactly ; for however 
willing they were to aid the Confederacy, and have their sons 
rob, pillage, and murder, they were not quite willing to pay 
Union men for losses of property sustained at the hands 
of even such good rebels as their guerrilla sons. But, in 
addition to the expense of guerrilla warfare, it was found 
to be quite unsafe, when, the next few days after the issuing 
of General Grant's order, General Dodge telegraphed from 
Trenton, Tennessee, to Grant : 

"General: The man who guided the rebels to the bridge 
that was burned w T as hung to-day. He had taken the oath. 
The houses of four others who aided have been burned to 
the ground." 

The rebel newspapers which had been encouraging guer- 
rilla outrages now became very abusive of General Grant 
and the Union cause, when the General summarily wound 
the matter up, in a three-line letter to the editor of the 
Memphis Avalanche, in the following words : 

"You will suspend the further publication of your paper. 

The spirit with which it is conducted is regarded as both 

incendiary and treasonable, and its issue can not longer be 

tolerated. 

U. S. Grant, Ma jor- General. 

It was now the 19th of September, 1862. The rebel 
Price, with twelve thousand men, had marched to Iuka, 
driving before him the Union garrisons of Tuscumbia and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



Ill 



Jacinto, and capturing at Iuka a large quantity of supplies 
left behind by Colonel Murphy, who retreated precipitately, 
with his command, to Corinth. Grant had been quietly wait- 
ing to ascertain the exact position and whereabouts of Van 
Dorn and other rebel commanders, and, having obtained the 
desired information, he at once ordered Rosecrans to move, 
with nine thousand men, by way of Rienzi, and Ord, to move, 
from Bolivar and Jackson, with eight thousand soldiers — both 
forces to concentrate on Iuka as rapidly as possible, and 
simultaneously attack Price. 

On the 18th of Sep- 
tember Grant was at 
Burnsville, and Ord, 
with his forces, within 
four miles of Iuka. 
Rosecrans was still 
some twenty miles dis- 
tant from Iuka, having 
been detained by the 
bad condition of the 
roads. At seven o'clock 
he sent a dispatch to 
General Grant, which 

Grant received at midnight, saying he could not possibly 
get up before two o'clock the next day. This gave Grant 
great uneasiness, as he had ordered General Ord to attack 
next day, and was in hourly expectation of hearing of the 
advance of Van Dorn on Corinth, which would necessitate 
the rapid withdrawal of Orel's forces from Iuka to defend 
Corinth. Trains of empty cars were brought up to Burns- 
ville, to carry back Ord's troops if Van Dorn should ad- 
vance, and the developments of the next few hours were 
awaited with the utmost anxiety. 

Ord was instructed to wait until he heard the firing of 




Vikw on Iuka -Battle-field. 



112 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Rosecrans, and then attack. At four o'clock, having made 
a forced march, Rosecrans arrived at Barnett's farm, near 
Iuka, on the Jacinto road. A strong force of rebels sud- 
denly attacked the head of his column, driving it in, and the 
battle began. The ground was exceedingly broken, covered 
with thickets, and full of ravines. The fighting was heavy, 
and done mostly by Hamilton's division, the nature of the 
ground being such that large bodies of troops could not be 
brought into action. Rosecrans held his own, but lost a 
battery, and seven hundred and thirty-six men, killed and 
wounded. At one o'clock at night, Rosecrans wrote Grant: 
"We have met the enemy, and had an engagement of sev- 
eral hours' duration. The firing was very heavy, and we 
lost two or three pieces of artillery. You must attack in 
the morning in force. The ground is horrid, unknown to 
us, and no room for development. We could not use our ar- 
tillery at all, and fired but few shots. Push on to them until 
we can have time to do something. We will try to get a po- 
sition on our right which will take Iuka. 

Grant was astonished that Ord, in obedience to orders, 
had not attacked the rebels simultaneously with Rosecrans, 
and he at once wrote him : " Unless you can create a diver- 
sion in favor of Rosecrans, he may find his hands full." The 
wind had been blowing all day to the south and east, and no 
sound of the conflict raging so near had reached Ord. In 
the evening, however, some negroes brought word of the 
battle, and in the morning he moved promptly on Iuka be- 
fore he received Grant's note. During the night, the rebels, 
who supposed themselves shut up in the town, were informed 
by Dr. Burton, a rebel, that Rosecrans' forces were all on 
one road, and that the Fulton road, to the south, was still 
open. Price hastily gathered his troops together, and, leav- 
ing his sick and wounded behind, beat a hasty retreat. 

The following letter from a rebel soldier, published in the 



LIFE OF GRANT. 113 

Montgomery Advertiser, September, 1862, contains matter 
of interest in this connection : 

" We held peaceable possession of Iuka for one day, and 
on the next were alarmed by the booming of cannon, and 
were called out to spend the evening in battle array in the 
woods. On the evening of the 19th, when we supposed we 
were going back to camp, to rest awhile, the sharp crack 
of musketry on the right of our former lines told us that the 
enemy was much nearer than we imagined. In fact, they 
had almost penetrated the town itself. How on earth, with 
the woods full of our cavalry, they could have approached 
so near our lines, is a mystery. They had planted a bat- 
tery sufficiently near to shell General Price's head-quarters, 
and were cracking away at the Third Brigade, when the 
Fourth came up at double-quick, and then, for two hours 
and fifteen minutes, w r as kept up the most terrific fire of 
musketry that ever dinned my ears. There was one con- 
tinuous roar of small arms, while grape and canister howled 
in fearful concert above our heads and through our ranks. 
General Little was shot dead early in the action. . . 
It was a terrible struggle, and we lost heavily. All night 
could be heard the groans of the wounded and dying, form- 
ing a sequel of horror and agony to the deadly struggle, 
over which night had kindly thrown its mantle. Saddest of 
all, our dead ivere left itnburied and many of the wounded 
on the battle-field to be taken in charge by the enemy. 

"Finding that the enemy were being reenforced from the 
North, and as our strength would not justify us in trying 
another battle, a retreat was ordered, and wo left the town 
during the night. The enemy pressed our rear the next 
day, and were only kept off by grape and canister. 

" It grieves me to state that acts of vandalism, disgrace- 
ful to any army, were, however, perpetrated along the line 
of retreat, and makes me blush to own such men as my 
8 



114 LIFE OF GRANT. 

countrymen. Corn fields were laid waste, potato patches 
robbed, barn-yards and smoke-houses despoiled, hogs killed, 
and all kinds of outrages perpetrated in broad daylight and 
in fall view of the officers. The advance and retreat were 
alike disgraceful, and I have no doubt that women and chil- 
dren along the route will cry for the bread which has been 
rudely taken from them by those who should have protected 
and defended them." 

When Grant arrived at Iuka, at nine o'clock on the 
morning after the battle, he was deeply mortified at the es- 
cape of the rebels, having fully determined to capture Price. 
A vigorous pursuit was at once ordered, but the enemy had 
got so far on the road, he could not be overtaken, and, ex- 
cept some small skirmishes with the rear-guard, nothing 
more was seen of him. Rosecrans reported the rebel loss 
at Iuka, at fourteen hundred killed and wounded, among 
others, the rebel General Little killed, and Whitefield 
wounded. 

Van Dorn, Lovell, and Price now concentrated their troops 
at and near Ripley, Tippah County, Mississippi, with the 
evident intention of attacking Corinth. On the 22d of 
September, Grant moved his head-quarters to Jackson, put 
Rosecrans in command at Corinth, and sent Ord to Bolivar. 
The rebel forces at La Grange and Ripley were threatening 
both Bolivar and Corinth, and it was impossible to tell which 
place they would attack. On the first of October, Grant tel- 
egraphed to Washington: "My position is precarious, but 
I hope to get out all right.*' On the 2d the rebels under 
Yaai Dorn, Price, Lovell, Villepigue, and Rust, appeared 
before Corinth in great array, and skirmishing continued for 
two days. 

The morning of the 4th of October ushered in the battle. 
The rebels came on through the woods and across the fields, 
with heads averted like men striving to protect themselves 



LIFE OF GHAXT. 115 

from a driving storm of hail. They crossed the broad glacis, 
and, with a yell, rushed upon Davis' division on the right, scat- 
tering a part of it; but Rosccrans, sword in hand, dashed 
in and restored order, and hurled back the Confederates. 
They came on again and again, but each time the Union troops 
under Davis, Hamilton, Hackleman, Oglesby, and the bat- 
teries under Williams, Powell, Dillon, and Robinette, drove 
back the rebels with terrible slaughter. At noon the rebels 
retired, leaving in the hands of the Union soldiers fourteen 
hundred and twenty- three dead and wounded, and twenty- 
five hundred prisoners. The National loss was three hun- 
dred killed, eighteen hundred and twelve wounded, and two 
hundred and thirty-two prisoners and missing. 

During the battle, Grant was in constant telegraphic com- 
munication with Rosecrans and Hurlbut from Grand Junc- 
tion. Ord, from Bolivar, and McPherson, from Jackson, 
were marching down upon the rebel rear. McPherson came 
up during the fight, and being unable to get to the garrison, 
swept around the rebel flank, and made a brilliant charge 
on his rear. 

Rosecrans had nineteen thousand men in the battle, and 
the rebels thirty-eight thousand. 

The rebels retreated toward the Hatchie, closely pursued 
by the Union forces. On the morning of the 5th, Hurlbut's 
and Ord's troops formed a junction, and Ord assumed com- 
mand. A severe fight took place at the crossing of Hatchie 
River, the rebel advance-guard suffering a heavy loss, and 
Ord capturing two batteries and two hundred prisoners. 

On the 6th, Rosecrans telegraphed Grant: "The enemy 
is totally routed, throwing every thing away. We are fol- 
lowing sharply." 

And on the 7th, Grant telegraphed General Ilallcck : 
" Under previous instructions, General Hurlbut is also fol- 
lowing. General McPherson is in the lead of General 



116 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Rosecrans' column. The rebel General Martin is said to 
be killed." 

Grant issued, on the 7th of October, 1862, a congratu- 
latory order to his troops, wherein, after returning his 
heartfelt thanks, for the victories vouchsafed the Republic 
on the 3d, 4th, and 5th instant, he says : 

"The enemy chose his own time and place of attack, and 
knowing the troops of the West as he does, and with great 
facilities for knowing their numbers, never would have made 
the attempt except with a superior force numerically. But 
for the undaunted bravery of officers and soldiers, who have 
yet to learn defeat, the efforts of the enemy must have 
proven successful. 

" While one division of tire army, under Major-General 
Rosecrans, was resisting and repelling the onslaught of the 
rebel hosts at Corinth, another, from Bolivar, under Major- 
General Hurlbut, was marching upon the enemy's rear, 
driving in their pickets and cavalry, and attracting the 
attention of a large force of infantry and artillery. On the 
following day, under Major-General Orel, these forces ad- 
vanced with unsurpassed gallantry, driving the enemy back 
across the Hatchie, over ground where it is almost incredi- 
ble that a superior force should be driven by an inferior, 
capturing two of the batteries (eight guns), many hundred 
small arms, and several hundred prisoners 

" As in all great battles, so in this, it becomes our fate to 
mourn the loss of many brave and faithful officers and 
soldiers, who have given up their lives as a sacrifice for a 
great principle. The nation mourns for them." 

President Lincoln, when he had received the intelligence 
from General Grant announcing the victories at Corinth and 
on the Hatchie, dispatched to him the following congratu- 
lations and inquiries : 



LIFE OF GRANT. 117 

"I congratulate you and all concerned in your recent 
battles and victories. How does it all sum up? I espe- 
cially regret the death of General Hackleman, and am very 
anxious to know the condition of General Oglesby, who is 
an intimate personal friend. A. LINCOLN." 

The disasters in the East were in part retrieved by these 
brilliant victories of General Grant in the West, but, as on 
former occasions, his enemies robbed him of the credit justly 
due him, and the honors were conferred on others. He did 
not complain, however, but was happy in the reflection of 
having done his duty, as a soldier, and been able to con- 
tribute something to the welfare of the Republic. 



118 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CHARACTER OF GRANT HALLECK AND GRANT COMPARED — OPENING OF THE 

MISSISSIPPI ADVANCE TO GRAND JUNCTION COLONEL LEE's RAID — ■ 

GRANTS ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITY HE ESTABLISHES CONTRABAND CAMPS 

— SEVERITY OF HIS DISCIPLINE — THE COTTON TRADE — ANECDOTE OF 

GRANT — GRANT AND THE JEWS HE REDUCES THE BAGGAGE OF HIS 

ARMY — ADVANCE ON VICKSBURG — SURRENDER OF HOLLY SPRINGS — ■ 
GRANT FALLS BACK ORGANIZATION OF HIS ARMY SHERMAN'S EXPEDI- 
TION AGAINST VICKSBURG REPULSE OF SHERMAN — FULL ACCOUNT OF 

THE FIRST ATTACK ON VICKSBURG CAPTURE OF ARKANSAS POST GRANT 

DETERMINED TO CAPTURE VICKSBURG HIS TELEGRAM TO HALLECK. 

There perhaps never was a person so little appreciated 
and more misunderstood than General Grant. Notwith- 
standing he has displayed talents second to no man since 
the days of Washington, yet there are hundreds of people 
who know him personally, and tens of thousands that know 
him by reputation, who do not believe that Grant is really 
a great man. It was so in the army, and Badeau has given 
us some little insight to the character of this truly remarka- 
ble soldier and citizen. "Grant's extreme simplicity of be- 
havior and directness of expression imposed on various 
officers above and below him. They thought him a good, 
plain man, who had blundered into one or two successes, 
and who, therefore, could not be immediately removed ; but 
they deemed it unnecessary to regard his judgment or count 
upon his ability. His superiors made their plans, inva- 
riably, without consulting him, and his subordinates some- 
times sought to carry out their own campaigns in opposition 



LIFE OF GRANT. 119 

or indifference to his orders, not doubting that, with their 
superior intelligence, they could conceive and execute tri- 
umphs which would excuse or even vindicate their cause. 
It is impossible to understand the early history of the war 
without taking into account that neither the Government 
nor its important commanders gave Grant credit for intel- 
lectual ability or military genius." 

"His other qualities were rated low also. Because he was 
patient, some thought it impossible to provoke him, and 
because of his calmness it was supposed that he was stolid. 
In battle or in campaigning he did not seem to care or con- 
sider so much what the enemy was doing, as what he him- 
self meant to do; and this trait to enthusiastic, and even 
brilliant, soldiers appeared inexplicable. A great comman- 
der, it was imagined, should be nervous, excitable, inspiring 
his men and captivating his officers ; calling private soldiers 
by their names; making eloquent addresses in the field, and 
waving his drawn sword in the battle. Great commanders 
had done all these things and won, and many men who 
could do all these things fancied themselves, therefore, great 
commanders. Others imagined wisdom to consist in science 
alone ; they sought success in learned and elaborate plans, 
requiring months to develop; and when the enemy was im- 
mediately before them, they maneuvered when it was time 
to fight; they intrenched when they should have attacked, 
and studied their books when the field should have been 
their only problem." 

Grant was like none of these. If he possessed acquire- 
ments he seemed unconscious of them ; he made no allusion 
to schools, and never hesitated to. transgress their rules 
when occasion required or seemed to demand it. So he 
neither won men's hearts by blandishments, nor effected 
their imagination by brilliancy of behavior; nor did he seem 
profound to those who are impressed only by display of 



120 LIFE OF GRANT. 

learning. lie never looked wise nor pretended to know 
much about any subject that was brought before him. He 
listened to the theories of all who came to him, and each 
one went away proud of his superior judgment, and confi- 
dent he had impressed and enlightened the stolid and stupid 
General. Men smiled when great civil questions pressed 
upon him, and wondered what he would do with them ; and 
when, with easy and happy judgment, he disposed of them, 
all agreed that it was Grant's luck, and not his wisdom, that 
had found the solution. From the day when he cut the 
neutrality knot in Kentucky, by marching his troops to Pa- 
ducah, down to the hour when he received the sword of Lee, 
at the Appottomax apple-tree, his military career was one 
of continued success and surprise to both his friends and 
foes. And, again, when the President placed him in the 
War Department, a position every one thought he had no 
particular ability for, he astonished the country by retrench- 
ing at once the expenses of the military establishment in 
one month, saving the people some millions of money, and 
so directing the affairs of his office that the nation saw in 
him one of the ablest war ministers it had ever had. When 
General Grant dies and his character and career come to 
be sifted and understood, it will be found that no such man 
has lived in America since the days of George Washington. 

On the 26th of October, 1862, General Grant, who had 
long been meditating the opening of the Mississippi to the 
Gulf, communicated what was on his mind to General 
Halleck, in the following words : " If you would give me 
some small reinforcements, I think I would be able to move 
down the Mississippi Central Railroad and cause the evacu- 
ation of Vicksburg." This is the first mention we find 
made in the military dispatches of the place destined 
afterward to become so famous in the history of the rebellion. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 121 

Halleck, who was essentially a defensive soldier, made haste 
to telegraph Grant : " Be prepared to concentrate your 
troops in case of an attack.'*' The minds of the two soldiers 
were entirely of a different order. Halleck was a strategist, 
Grant a fighter; Halleck valued places, Grant only the 
winning of battle-fields ; Halleck would risk nothing, Grant 
all ; Halleck was always prepared for defeat, Grant always 
expected to win ; Halleck counted his success by the number 
of towns and cities he could capture, Grant by the number 
of generals and armies he could defeat ; the one reasoned 
that when the enemy had no soil or cities to defend he 
would surrender, the other said that when the enemy was 
beaten, the soil and cities would of necessity fall into the 
hands of the victor. 

Grant receiving information that General Pemberton, 
who had succeeded Van Dorn, was strongly fortified on the 
Tallahatchie, with his advance out as far as La Grange 
and Grand Junction, determined to attack him ; so, not- 
withstanding the caution about concentrating his troops for 
an attack, Grant, on the 2d of November, telegraphed 
Halleck : " I have commenced a movement on Grand Junc- 
tion, with three divisions from Corinth and two from Bolivar." 
Taking command in person, he went to Holly Springs and 
Grenada, completing the telegraph and railroad as he went. 
Holly Springs is twenty-five miles from Grand Junction; 
Grenada one hundred miles from Grand Junction, and the 
Tallahatchie river about fifty miles from Grand Junction. 

In the latter part of October, 1862, Grant had sent out 
an expedition, under Colonel A. L. Lee, of the Seventh 
Kansas Cavalry, who had gone as far as the towns of 
Orizaba and Ripley, both of which places he had captured 
and held for some time, and then returned in safety to 
Grand Junction. On the 4th of November, General Grant 
having removed his head-quarters to La Grange, he sent out 



122 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Colonel Lee again with fifteen hundred cavalry to Hudson- 
ville, near which place Lee engaged a large body of rebel 
cavalry in flank with part of his force, while he sent the 
other half on to Hudsonville. Lee routed the cavalry op- 
posed to him, capturing one hundred and thirty-four prisoners, 
with their horses, and killing sixteen. He also learned that 
Lovell had moved his rebel force from his camp north of 
Holly Springs, and was in the hills just beyond with two 
divisions; that Pemberton had come up from Jackson, and 
Price was seven miles from Holly Springs with twelve 
thousand men, while a large conscript camp was being formed 
at Abbeville. So ably had Colonel Lee conducted his 
expedition, and so valuable was the information he obtained, 
that General Grant, on his return to La Grange, at once 
recommended this gallant officer for promotion to brigadier- 
general. 

Administrative duties again claimed the attention of 
General Grant, and he set to work with energy to correct 
the abuses and irregularities existing in his department. 
The negroes were escaping in large numbers and entering 
his camp, giving no little trouble. They had not yet been 
declared free, and their masters w r ere continually reclaiming 
them and carrying them back into slavery. Grant was at heart 
an earnest abolitionist, but the laws and customs of the country 
were against him, and he could do but little toward aiding 
the slaves to obtain their freedom. He, however, as early 
as November 14, 1862, issued an order establishing con- 
traband camps, and directed that all slaves entering the 
lines of the Union army should be sent to them fed, clothed, 
and given employment until the Government should adopt 
some definite policy regarding slavery. A number of 
Federal soldiers had been guilty of plundering, and upon 
these he assessed the value of the stores that had been taken, 
deducted the amount from their pay, and caused the money 



LIFE OF GRANT. 123 

to be turned over to the people who had been robbed. Two 
officers who had permitted their men to rob a store at Jackson, 
Tennessee, Grant summarily dismissed from service, and so 
severely punished others, that plundering soon ceased almost 
entirely in his army. The cotton trade seriously disturbed 
the operations of the army, and Grant for a long time refused 
to grant any permits for it to be carried on. 

An anecdote is told of General Grant, relative to his 
refusal to engage in or authorize any movements for the 
re-opening of trade with the rebellions States. On one 
occasion, especially, after his protests and orders suppressing 
such traffic, he was eagerly entreated by the agents of the 
Treasury Department to authorize some system of trade. 
He refused, for the reason that he could not successfully 
conduct his military operations while such persons were 
moving around him ; but at last he conceded that a certain 
amount of trade in the recaptured districts of the South 
would be safe, proper, and even highly useful to the Union, 
provided it could be conducted through honest, unimpeach- 
able Union hands. He was asked to name the persons 
whom he would be willing to trust. 

"I will do no such thing," was Grant's reply; "for if I 
did, it would appear in less than a week that I was a partner 
of every one of the persons trading under my authority." 

Some German Jews had, in their anxiety to trade, so 
often violated General Grant's orders, that at length hi3 
patience, completely exhausted, he excluded them from 
his department. This he did from no prejudice against 
their class, but because some of the Jews, then trading 
within his lines, were known to be aiding the enemy. He 
could not get hold of the guilty parties, and, although he 
feared some innocent persons might suffer with the guilty, 
such was the situation of affairs in his command that any 
aid or comfort, or, still worse, information given to the enemy 



124 LIFE OF GRANT. 

would ruin him, and lie was, therefore, compelled to issue 
the order against the Jews as a measure of safety to his 
military operations. 

Halleck, before leaving for Washington, had set the ex- 
ample by reducing his baggage to a tooth-brush, and Grant, 
now finding his army was so loaded down with wagons, 
filled with the effects of officers and privates, that it would 
be impossible for him to move rapidly, he determined to 
remedy the evil at once. Taking away the large wall-tents, 
he caused small shelter tents to be issued in their stead, 
and the officers and men soon finding they had nothing to 
carry, of course needed no wagons, and so the teams were 
turned over to the quartermaster's department. Grant's 
personal baggage at this time is said to have consisted of a 
towel, two pieces of soap, a fine-tooth comb, and forty-one 
boxes of cigars. 

His staff had been selected with great sagacity, and con- 
sisted of — 

Brigadier-General J. D. Webster, superintendent military 
railroads. 

Lieutenant-Colonel John A. Rawlins, assistant adjutant- 
general and chief of staff. 

Colonel T. Lyle Dickey, chief of cavalry. 

Colonel William S. Hillyer, aid-de-camp and provost 
marshal-general. 

Colonel Clark B. Lagow, aid-de-camp and acting inspector- 
general. 

Colonel George P. Ihrie, aid-de-camp and acting inspector- 
general. 

Colonel John Riggin, Jr., aid-de-camp and superintendent 
of military telegraphs. 

Colonel George G. Pride, chief engineer of military rail- 
roads. 

Lieutenant-Colonel W. L. Duff, chief of artillery. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 125 

Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Hawkins, chief of subsistence 
department. 

Lieutenant-Colonel C. A. Reynold, chief of quartermas- 
ter's department. 

Surgeon Horace R. Wirtz, chief of medical department. 

Major William R. Rowley, aid-de-camp and mustering of- 
ficer. 

Captain T. S. Bowers, aid-de-camp. 

Captain F. E. Prime, chief of engineers. 

Lieutenant James II. Wilson, chief of topographical en- 
gineers. 

Lieutenant S.-C. Lyford, chief of ordinance department. 

On the 28th of November, Grant, although he had not 
received all the reinforcements he expected, determined to 
begin his campaingn against Vicksburg, and the next day 
sent his cavalry across the Tallahatchie. Sherman was or- 
dered to cross at Wyatt, and Grant moved his head-quarters 
to Holly Springs, telegraphing to Washington, "to-morrow 
we will be in Abbeville, or a battle will be fought." 

Generals Hovey and Washburn had been directed to move 
with their troops from Helena, Arkansas, across the Missis- 
sippi, and cut the railroads in Pemberton's rear, which they 
did, thus hastening the evacuation of the rebel works on the 
Tallahatchie. December 1st the rebels were falling back, 
and Grant pursuing to Oxford. As the troops pushed for- 
ward, Grant found abundant evidence to justify his stringent 
order, on the 14th of November, against the Jews. Near 
Watcrford one house in St. Louis had a branch clothing es- 
tablishment for the supply of the rebels. 

On the 3d Grant's head-quarters were at Oxford, and, so 
far, his expedition had been a perfect success; but now came 
the alarming intelligence that the enemy were in his rear 
on his communications, and that Colonel Murphy had sur- 
rendered Holly Springs to Van Dora. Sufficient garrisons 



126 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Lad been left at Columbus, Humboldt, Trenton, Jackson r 
Bolivar, Corinth, Holly Springs, Cold Water, Davis' Mills, 
Middleburg, and every precaution had been taken to secure 
his advance, still Grant felt that his communications might 
be cut, and was, therefore, not greatly suprised to hear of 
the enemy being in his rear. He was amazed, however, 
that Holly Springs should have been taken so easily; and 
finding he could not advance without supplies, he hastily 
gathered up his army and began to retrace his steps. On 
arriving at Holly Springs, and learning that Colonel Murphy 
had surrendered the post and ail its stores without striking 
a blow, Grant issued an order dismissing him disgracefully 
from the service. The posts of Cold Water, Davis' Mills, 
and Middleburg had been attacked by the rebels, but were 
bravely defended and the enemy repulsed, and to the offi- 
cers and men comprising the garrisons of these places, 
Grant issued a complimentary order. 

The army now consisted of four corps, organized as fol- 
lows : 1. The troops composing the Ninth Division, Brig- 
adier-General G. W. Morgan commanding; the Tenth Di- 
vision, Brigadier-General A. J. Smith commanding; and all 
other troops operating on the Mississippi River below Mem- 
phis, not included in the Fifteenth Army Corps, constituted 
the Thirteenth Army Corps, under the command of Major- 
General John A. McClernand. 

2. The Fifth Division, Brigadier-General Morgan L. Smith 
commanding; the Division from Helena, Arkansas, com- 
manded by Brigadier-General F. Steele, and the forces in 
the District of Memphis, constituted the Fifteenth Army 
Corps, and was commanded by Major-General William T. 
Sherman. • 

3. The Sixth Division, Brigadier-General J. McArthur 
commanding; the Seventh Division, Brigadier-General I. F. 
Quinby commanding; the Eighth Division, Brigadier-General 



LIFE OF GRANT. 127 

L. F. Ross commanding; the Second Brigade of Cavalry, 
Colonel A. L. Lee commanding, and the troops in the 
District of Columbus, commanded by Brigadier-General 
Davis, and those in the District of Jackson, commanded 
by Brigadier-General Sullivan, constituted the Sixteenth 
Army Corps, and was commanded by Major-General S. A. 
Ilurlbut. 

4. The First Division, Brigadier-General J. W. Denver 
commanding; the Third Division, Brigadier-General John 
A. Logan commanding; the Fourth Division, Brigadier- 
General J. G. Lauman commanding; the First Brigade of 
Cavalry, Colonel B. II. Grierson commanding, and the forces 
in the District of Corinth, commanded by Brigadier-General 
G. M, Dodge, constituted the Seventeenth Army Corps, and 
was commanded by Major-General J. B. McPherson. 

Grant had determined to send General Sherman down the 
Mississippi with an expedition against Yicksburg, and for 
this purpose had ordered him to Memphis, General Morgan 
L. Smith's division being ordered to at once report to him 
to form part of the expedition. The navy, under Admiral 
Porter, was to cooperate with him, and on the 23d of De- 
cember, Sherman embarked with four divisions, and imme- 
diately set sail down the river. On the 24th he arrived near 
Helena, with thirty thousand men, and that evening received 
a rcenforccment from Helena of twelve thousand. Next 
morning he landed at Milliken's Bend, and spent three days 
in attempting to cut the Vicksburg and Shreveport Railroad, 
by which he was informed the rebels were sending reenforcc- 
ments to Yicksburg. On the 20th, under convoy of Admiral 
Porter's gunboats, he advanced up the Yazoo River, which 
empties into the Mississippi nine miles from Yicksburg, and 
on the 27th landed near the mouth of Chickasaw Bayou. 
The expedition of General Sherman had been intended to 
cooperate with General Grant's movements by land on 



128 LIFE OF GRANT. 



Vieksburg. Sherman's forces were denominated the right 
wing, and Grant's the left wing. On reaching Chickasaw 
Bayou, Sherman expected to hear of Grant's advance, but 
could get no intelligence of his whereabouts. It was not 
until until several days afterward that Sherman heard of the 
surrender of Holly Springs, and Grant's retreat. 

On the morning of the 28th, not being able to learn 
any thing of Grant, Sherman determined to move forward 
without waiting for him. A. J. Smith's division had the 
right, Morgan L. Smith's the right center, Morgan's the 
left center, and Steele's the left. The advance lay across 
bluffs covered with tangled undergrowth, and through swamps 
intersected by deep streams. The narrow causeways, along 
which the infantry had to advance, were under range of the 
rebel guns on the bluffs, and the hills were lined with rifle- 
pits, filled with sharp-shooters. Through these difficulties 
Sherman pushed his way, and on the 29th attacked the rebel 
lines. On the evening of that day he was at the foot of the 
bluffs and had effected a lodgment, but being unable, on 
account of the nature of the ground, to put but a part of 
his force into the action he was driven back with severe loss. 
He now determined to go higher up the Yazoo and attempt 
a landing under cover of the gunboats, but a rain setting 
in, and afterward a dense fog, so that the vessels could not 
move, nor the men see each other at ten paces distant, he 
gave up the movement and returned to the Mississippi, 
where he met his superior officer, General McClernand, to 
whom he turned over his command. Sherman lost in the 
expedition one hundred and seventy-five killed, nine hundred 
and thirty-seven wounded, and seven hundred and forty- 
three missing. His failure was entirely owing to the sur- 
render of Holly Springs, and consequent non-cooperation 
of the left wing. No fault was found with him by General 
Grant or the department. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 129 

The following graphic description of the first attack on 
Yicksburg is given by an eye-witness : 

"General Morgan, at eleven o'clock A. M., sent word to 
General Steele that he was about read} 7 for the movement 
upon the hill, and wished the latter to support him with Gen- 
eral Thayer's brigade. General Steele accordingly ordered 
General Thayer to move his brigade forward, and be ready 
for the assault. The order was promptly complied with, and 
General Blair received from General Morgan the order to 
assault the hill. The artillery had been silent for some 
time, but Hoffman's battery opened when the movement 
commenced. This was promptly replied to by the enemy, 
and taken up by Griffith's First Iowa Battery, and a vigor- 
ous shelling was the result. By the time General Blair's 
brigade emerged from its cover of cypress forest, the shell 
were dropping fast among the' men. A field battery had 
been in position in front of Hoffman's battery ; but it lim- 
bered up and moved away beyond the heavy batteries and 
the rifle-pits. 

"In front of the timber where Blair's brigade had been 
lying was an abatis of young trees, cut off about three feet 
above the ground, and with the tops fallen promiscuously 
around. It took some minutes to pass this abatis, and by 
the time this was accomplished the enemy's fire had not been 
without effect. Beyond this abatis was a ditch fifteen or 
twenty feet deep, and with two or three feet water in the 
bottom. The bottom of the ditch was a quicksand, in which 
the feet of the men commenced sinking, the instant they 
touched it. By the time this ditch was passed the line was 
thrown into considerable confusion, and it took several min- 
utes to put it in order. All the horses of the officers were 
mired in this ditch. Every one dismounted and moved up 
the hill on foot. 

"Beyond this ditch was an abatis of heavy timber that 
9 



130 LIFE OF GRANT. 

had been felled several months before, and, from being com- 
pletely seasoned, was more difficult of passage than that con- 
structed of greener and more flexible trees encountered at 
first. These obstacles were overcome under a tremendous 
fire from the enemy's batteries and the men in the rifle-pits. 
The line was recovered from the disorder into which it had 
been thrown by the passage of the abatis ; and, with General 
Blair at their head, the regiments moved forward 'upon the 
enemy's works.' The first movement was over a sloping 
plateau, raked by direct and enfilading fires from heavy 
artillery, and swept by a perfect storm of bullets from the 
rifle-pits. Nothing daunted by the dozens of men that had 
already fallen, the brigade pressed on, and in a few moments 
had driven the enemy from the first range of rifle-pits at the 
base of the hill, and were in full possession. 

" Halting but a moment to take breath, the brigade re- 
newed the charge, and speedily occupied the second line of 
rifle-pits, about two hundred yards distant from the first. 
General Blair was the first man of his brigade to enter. All 
this time the murderous fire from the enemy's guns continued. 
The batteries were still above this line of rifle-pits. The 
regiments were not strong enough to attempt their capture 
without a prompt and powerful support. For them it had 
truly been a march 

" ' Into the jaws of death— 
Into the mouth of hell.' 

"Almost simultaneously with the movement of General 
Blair on the left, General Thayer received his command to go 
forward. He had previously given orders to all his regi- 
ments in column to follow each other whenever the first 
moved forward. He accordingly placed himself at the 
head of his advance regiment, the Fourth Iowa, and his 
or d er — 'Forward, Second Brigade!' — rang out clear above 



LIFE OF GRANT. 131 

the tumult. Colonel Williamson, commanding the Fourth 
Iowa, moved it off in splendid style. General Thayer sup- 
posed that all the other regiments of his brigade were fol- 
lowing, in accordance with his instructions previously issued. 
He wound through the timber skirting the bayou, crossed 
at the same bridge where General Blair had passed but a 
few minutes before, made his way through the ditch and 
both lines of abatis, deflected the right and ascended the 
sloping plateau in the direction of the rifle-pits simulta- 
neously with General Blair, and about two hundred yards 
to his right. 

"When General Thayer reached the rifle-pits, after hard 
fighting and a heavy loss, he found, to his horror, that only 
the Fourth Iowa had followed him, the wooded nature of 
the place having prevented his ascertaining it before. Sadly 
disheartened, with little hope of success, he still pressed for- 
ward and fought his way to the second line, at the same 
time that General Blair reached it on the left. Colonel 
Williamson's regiment was fast falling before the concentra- 
ted fire of the rebels, and with an anxious heart General 
Thayer looked around for aid. 

"The rebels were forming three full regiments of infantry 
to move down upon General Thayer, and were massing a 
proportionately formidable force against General Blair. 
The rebel infantry and artillery were constantly in full 
play, and two heavy guns were raking the rifle-pits in 
several places. With no hope of succor, General Thayer 
gave the order for a return do\vn the hill and back to his 
original position. The Fourth Iowa, entering the fight five 
hundred strong, had lost a hundred and twenty men in less 
than thirty minutes. It fell back at a quick march, but with 
its ranks unbroken and without any thing of panic. 

"It appears that just at the time General Thayer's bri- 
gade started up the hill, General Morgan sent for a portion 



132 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of it to support him on the right. General Steele at once 
diverted the Second Regiment of Thayer's Brigade, which 
was passing at the time. The Second Regiment being thus 
diverted, the others followed, in accordance with the orders 
they had previously received from their commander. Notice 
of the movement was sent to General Thayer; but, in conse- 
quence of the death of the courier, the notification never 
reached him. This accounts for his being left with nothing 
save the Fourth Iowa Regiment. The occurrence was a sad 
one. The troops thus turned off were among the best that 
had yet been in action, and had they been permitted to 
charge the enemy they would have won for themselves a 
brilliant record. 

"When General Blair entered the second line of rifle-pits, 
his brigade continued to pursue the enemy up the hill. The 
Thirteenth Illinois Infantry was in advance, and fought 
with desperation to win its way to the top of the crest. 
Fifty yards or more above the second line of rifle-pits is a 
small clump of willows, hardly deserving the name of trees. 
They stand in a corn-field, and from the banks of the bayou 
below presented the appearance of a green hillock. To this 
copse many of the rebels fled when they were driven from 
the rifle-pits, and they were promptly pursued by General 
Blair's men. The Thirteenth met and engaged the rebels 
hand to hand, and in the encounter bayonets were repeat- 
edly crossed. It gained the place, driving out the enemy ; 
but as soon as our men occupied it the fire of a field-battery 
w T as turned upon them and the place became too hot to be held. 

" The road from Mrs. Lake's plantation to the top of the 
high ground and thence to Yicksburg, runs at an angle along 
the side of the hill, so as to obtain a slope easy of ascent. 
The lower side of this road was provided with a breastwork, 
so that a light battery could be taken anywhere along the 
road and fired over the embankment. From the nearest 



LIFE OF GRANT. 133 

point of this embankment a battery opened on the Thir- 
teenth Illinois, and was aided by a heavy battery on the hill. 
Several men were killed by the shell and grape that swept 
the copse. 

" The other regiments of the brigade came to the support 
of the Thirteenth — the Twenty-ninth Missouri, Colonel Cav- 
ender, being in the advance. Meantime the rebels formed a 
large force of infantry to bring against them, and when the 
Twenty-ninth reached the copse, the rebels were already 
engaging the Union troops. The color-bearer of the Twelfth 
had been shot down, and some one picked up the standard 
and planted it in front of the copse. The force of the 
rebels was too great for our men to stand against them, and 
they slowly fell back, fighting step by step toward the 
rifle-pits, and taking their colors with them. 

"In this charge upon the hill the regiments lost severely. 
In General Blair's brigade there were eighteen hundred and 
twenty-five men engaged in this assault, and of this number 
six hundred and forty-two were killed, wounded, and cap- 
tured." 

Sherman, who now took command under McClernand, at 
once proposed to go up Arkansas River and capture Arkan- 
sas Post, a strong work about fifty miles from the mouth 
of the river. As no orders had been or could be received 
from Grant for some time, McClernand agreed, and they 
advanced, accompanied by several gunboats. On the 11th 
of January, the land and naval forces made a combined at- 
tack on the enemy's works and captured them, with a loss of 
about one thousand men, killed, wounded, and missing. The 
fight lasted three hours, and the Union troops captured five 
thousand prisoners and seventeen pieces of cannon. As Sher- 
man expected, this little victory greatly raised the spirits of 
our troops, and reconciled the country to the misfortunes of 
the army at Yicksburg. 



134 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The reporting of General McClernand to Grant necessi- 
tated a reorganization of the army, and, accordingly, on the 
22d of December, an order was issued from army head- 
quarters re-composing the corps, and assigning General 
McClernand to command the Thirteenth Army Corps, Gen- 
eral Sherman to the Fifteenth Army Corps, General Hurl- 
but to the Sixteenth Corps, and General McPherson to the 
Seventeenth Corps. 

Colonel Badeau, in his excellent life of Grant, has, for 
some reason or other, done great injustice to General Mc- 
Clernand ; and, although it is not the intention of the author 
of this work to find fault with others, he could not omit to 
mention the fact that writers, whose province it is to discuss 
such matters, may set the gallant McClernand right before 
the country. 

On the 17th of January, General Grant came down to 
Napoleon, where the transport fleet was then laying, with 
the troops on board, and on the 20th he announced his in- 
tention to again attack Yicksburg and reduce it, although 
he believed, as he wrote Halleck, "it will take time and 
men." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 135 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE PRESIDENTS EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION GRANT ENFORCES THE 

POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT — YOUNG'S POINT THE WILLIAMS CANAL 

ROUNDABOUT BAYOU EXPEDITION — MOON LAKE YAZOO PASS EXPEDI- 
TION ADMIRAL FARRAGUT — ADMIRAL PORTER m'cLERNANd's MARCH — ■ 

RUNNING THE BATTERIES — GRIERSON AND HATCH'S RAID — BATTLE OF 

PORT GIBSON GRANT'S FIGHTING APPEARANCE EVACUATION OF GRAND 

GULF — PERPLEXIXG SITUATION OF GRANT — HIS PLANS DISAPPROVED BY 
THE PRESIDENT AND HALLECK — PEMBERTON AND JOHNSTON MARCH 
AGAINST HIM — BATTLE OF RAYMOND ADVANCE ON JACKSON PRELIMI- 
NARY MOVEMENTS — GRANT LEADS THE ADVANCE IN PERSON AND ON FOOT. 

The President's emancipation proclamation, issued on the 
22d of September, 1862, had caused great excitement in the 
country and army. Many gallant men declared if they had 
known they were to fight for the freedom of the negro, they 
would not have enlisted in the Avar. A large number of 
officers tendered their resignations, and so great was the 
dissatisfaction prevailing, that the department and army 
commanders felt compelled to put a stop to the matter. It 
having come to the ears of Grant that the surrender of 
Holly Springs, without striking a blow, was in consequence 
of the proclamation, he at once assembled a court of inquiry, 
and eight officers being found guilty, he dismissed them in 
disgrace from the army. Fully determined that the policy 
of the Government and the freedom of the slaves should 
be carried out, Grant issued a general order declaring that 
corps, division, and post commanders would afford all fa- 
cilities for the completion of the negro regiments organizing 



136 LIFE OF GRANT. 

in the department. Commissaries would issue supplies, and 
quartermasters furnish stores on the same requisitions and 
returns as were required from other troops, lie said: 

" It is expected that all commanders will especially exert 
themselves in carrying out the policy of the administration, 
not only in organizing colored regiments, and rendering 
them efficient, but also in removing prejudice against 
them." 

Grant's plan now was to find a base on the river, cross 
the country, and attack Yicksburg from the land side. With 
this view he ordered his army to rendezvous at Young's 
Point, and on the 29th of January proceeded to that place 
in person and assumed command. The navy, under Porter, 
was already at the Point; and the whole army, except Lo- 
gan's division and some small garrisons, was expected in 
a few days. 

At Yicksburg the Mississippi makes a great bend, or horse- 
shoe, the distance across the neck being only about one 
mile. Proceeding to the neck of the bend, six miles below 
the city, Grant determined to cut a canal for his boats, and 
thus get below the city. The work on the Williams canal 
was immediately begun and vigorously continued until the 
8th of March, when the dam, at the mouth, gave way, and 
the waters of the Mississippi rushed through, overflowing 
the land, and compelling the soldiers to seize their tents 
and implements and flee to the levees to keep from being 
drowned. The rebels laughed long and loud at Grant's 
failure, but he smiled good-naturedly, and at once showed 
them he had another plan for approaching their stronghold. 

Proceeding with his engineers and some dredge-boats to 
Milliken's Bend, he began cleaning out Roundabout Bayou 
with a view of getting into Tensas River, but just as he 
had got the channel sufficiently dredged to allow the pas- 
sage of some light steamers, the water in the river sud- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 1 :)7 

denly fell and put an end to the scheme. Again the rebels 
laughed at the Yankee general, but nothing discouraged, 
he began cutting a new canal from the Mississippi into Lake 
Providence. By this route he hoped to get into Baxter and 
Macon Bayous, and from them into Tensas, Washita, and 
White Piivcrs, down which he could sail to the Mississippi, 
communicate with Banks at Port Hudson, and thus flank 
Vicksburg and open communications with the Gulf. The 
route, however, was too long, and the project was soon 
abandoned. 

The next effort was to get through Yazoo Pass, eight 
miles from Helena, into Moon Lake, and thence into Cold 
Water and Tallahatchie Rivers. One who was engaged in 
the expedition thus speaks of Yazoo Pass: 

"I would like to describe the Yazoo Pass. I would like 
to compare it to something that would be intelligible. But 
I know of nothing in heaven or on earth, or in the waters 
under the earth, that will compare with it. Had the im- 
mortal bard desired a subject from which to draw a picture 
of the way that leads to the realms of darkness and despair, 
he had only to picture the Yazoo Pass. Let me try, in the 
feeble language I can command, to describe it, Perhaps 
the reader has passed through the Dismal Swamp of Vir- 
ginia ; or, if not, he has read accounts of travelers who have 
enjoyed that privilege. Then he has heard of the famous 
jungles of India. He has seen or read of the unbroken 
silence of the boundless tall forests of the John Brown tract 
in Western New York. Conceive the ugliest features of 
these three varieties of territory, and he will be able, by 
combining them, to form a tolerably correct idea of the re- 
gion through which the Yazoo Pass runs. Those who have 
watched the course of a snake as he trails his way along 
the ground, winding this way and that, hither and yonder, 
going in all directions at the same time, and yet maintain- 



138 LIFE OF GRANT. 

ing something of a regular course in the average, will, by 
exaggerating the picture in their own minds, understand 
something of the tortuous course of the Yazoo Pass. I have 
passed through it from one end to the other, and I assert 
candidly that there is not throughout its entire length a 
piece two hundred feet long of perfectly straight river." 

Up this narrow and tortuous channel the gunboats w r ere 
pushed, and the w r oik continued until the 21st of March, 
when the expedition was given up, and the land and naval 
forces returned to Milliken's Bend. 

Admiral Porter, of whom it was said he could run his 
gunboats wherever the ground was damp, had displayed the 
greatest energy in the operations along the Mississippi. 
On the 15th of March he had sailed up Steele's Bayou, and 
soon became so heavily engaged with the enemy, that he 
was obliged to send to General Grant for help. Grant 
promptly sent him General Sherman, with his Fifteenth 
Army Corps, and, after some hard fighting, the boats were 
got out of the bayous and into the Mississippi again. Of 
the timely arrival of Sherman and his troops, the following 
extract from an officer's letter will tell : 

"While the adventure was of uncertain success — when 
the result seemed almost accomplished, and when our gun- 
boats were surrounded with an enemy confident of victory, 
and their extrication seemed almost an impossibility — officers 
and men worked with equal alacrity, whether in building 
bridges or making forced marches, both by day and in the 
night. The whole time was used in labor — constant and 
severe. It seems almost a miracle that the boats were 
saved. If Generals Sherman and Stuart, by their utmost 
exertions and labor, had forwarded their troops a single half 
day later, if the second forced march under General Sherman 
had been retarded a single hour, in all human probability 
the whole force would have been lost." 



LIFE OF BRANT. 139 

An effort was now again made to remove Grant, but the 
President said: "I like the man, and will try him a little 
longer." The country, however, was clamoring at his delay, 
and Grant saw the necessity of promptly doing something to 
save himself from the disgrace of removal. 

Admiral Farragut had run by the batteries at Port 
Hudson with his flag-ship, the Hartford, and her tender, 
the Albatross; and on March 17th was lying off Natchez, 
Miss. On March 21st the Hartford arrived off Vicksburg, 
and anchoring below the batteries, communicated with 
Admiral Porter and General Grant. 

Porter was burning to eclipse his gallant rival by running 
the batteries of Vicksburg, and, on the 16th of April, was 
ready to make the attempt. 

Grant had determined to move his forces below Vicksburg, 
on the Louisiana shore, so as to take the rebel works in 
rear. On the 29th of March McClernand, with the Thir- 
teenth Army Corps, had started for New Carthage, but on 
arriving at Smith's plantation, two miles from Carthage, he 
found the levee broken and the town an island. It seemed 
as though the Mississippi was a rebel sympathizer. Mc- 
Clernand pushed on, however, going around Bayou Vidal 
and traversing the most horrible roads. At times it was 
found necessary to drag his wagons and cannon by hand, 
the men working in mud up to their knees. At length the 
Union troops reached the Mississippi, and established their 
camp on a rebel plantation just outside of New Carthage. 
McClernand now anxiously awaited the operations of the 
fleets up the river, and was soon gratified to learn of their 
success. 

On the night of the 16th of April, Porter, with eight 
gunboats and the transports Forest Queen, Henry Clay, and 
Silver Wave, all well protected by cotton bales, steamed 
down the river. There was no moon, and the great city and 



140 • LTFE OF GRANT. 

bluffs lay shrouded in darkness. Porter led the way in the 
Benton, and was already close upon the hill-sides he knew to 
he bristling with rebel cannon. Slowly and noiselessly the 
great boats glided down the broad stream, the transports 
hugging the Louisiana shore. Suddenly the rebel sentries 
challenged, and receiving no reply, the batteries belched 
forth their contents, and the hills for miles lighted up with 
flames. The slumbering citizens of Vicksburg sprang from 
their beds in fright, and rushed wildly into the streets as the 
great iron shells of the gunboats went howling like demons 
over the city, or crashed through the houses and exploded 
with a noise like thunder. The rebel sharpshooters set 
fire to the buildings on the river, bank to get light to see the 
boats by, and the shells soon setting fire to the houses 
further up in the city, the flames lighted up the hills for 
miles around. In the streets, toiling at their cannons, like 
red dragons, could be seen the rebel gunners, and, on the 
boats in the river, the sailors working their huge guns, 
looked like so many black devils. It was a scene such as 
has seldom been witnessed in this or any other country, and 
no one who was at Vicksburg on that eventful night will 
ever have his dreams entirely free from the horrible spec- 
tacle. 

In one hour and a quarter the boats had all passed the 
batteries, and the firing ceased. The Henry Clay was lost, 
a shot from the rebel batteries having set her cotton on fire 
and demoralized her crew, who abandoned her. As she 
floated down the stream, ablaze with fire, she presented a 
beautiful sight with the stars and stripes streaming in the 
red light above her. The Forest Queen was disabled by a 
round shot, and every transport was struck, some of them 
being drawn into the eddy and compelled to run through the 
horrible fire of the batteries no less than three times. 
Surprising as it may seem, only one man was killed and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 141 

eight wounded in all of Porter's boats that night. Grant 
bad followed the fleet in a transport to just above the bend, 
where he remained and watched the operations, his boat 
being in close range of the rebel batteries, and the shot and 
shell falling thick around him. 

The first intelligence McClernand and his troops had of 
what had taken place above, was communicated by the old 
rebel on whose plantation they were encamped. He rushed 
into McClernand's head-quarters, jubilantly exclaiming : 
"Where, now, are your gunboats? Burned to the water's 
edge, sir, and there they go floating down the stream charred 
and blackened hulks." When, however, the wrecks had 
passed, and one after another the black smokes of the gun- 
goats appeared in the bend of the river above, the old man 
became pallid with fear and rage as the Yankees pointed 
them out to him, and tauntingly asked: "Did Vicksburg put 
an end to them all ?" 

McPherson, with his corps, had closely followed McCler- 
nand to New Carthage, and the combined forces were now 
preparing to attack Grand Gulf from Hard Times. On the 
26th of April, six other transports had run the batteries at 
Vicksburg, and Grant was now busily engaged in preparing 
his troops for the advance on Grand Gulf and Port Gibson. 

Before leaving the north side of Vicksburg, General Grant 
had ordered Generals Grierson and Hatch, two of his most 
skillful cavalry officers, to take the First Cavalry Brigade, 
go south into the State of Mississippi, destroy the railroads, 
burn the bridges in the rear of Vicksburg, and then make 
their way to some point within the Union lines down the 
river. On the 17th of April, Grierson had started from 
La Grange, going to Ripley, where General Hatch, with his 
troops, left the main expedition, and made a flank move- 
ment, crossing the Tallahatchie five miles from New Albany. 
Grierson crossed at New Albany, and sending small bodies 



112 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of troops to the right and left, to deceive the enemy as to 
his destination, pushed on with the main body to Peritotoc, 
where he attacked and dispersed a body of rebels. On the 
20th, Grierson sent a small force back to La Grange, with 
some prisoners, directing them to make as much display as 
possible, and create the impression that the raid was over. 
The ruse was successful. Another force was detached un- 
der General Hatch, and sent to destroy the Mobile and Ohio 
railroad and attack Columbus. General Hatch was entirely 
successful, drawing off Chalmers' rebel troops after him, and' 
leaving Grierson free to pursue his course with the main 
column to Starkville. The command united again at Louis- 
ville, Miss., and marched to Philadelphia, Decatur, Montrose, 
Raleigh, Westville, and finally emerged from rebeldom at 
Baton Rouge on the first of May. This was the greatest 
raid of the war, the troops having marched eight hundred 
miles through the heart of the enemy's country, cut off all 
communication with Vicksburg, captured one thousand pris- 
oners, and made other captures as follows : 

"Locomotives destroyed, 2; cars destroyed, nearly 200; 
bridges burned, etc., 9; telegraph wires cut, 2; railroad 
tracks destroyed and broken, 3; rebel camps destroyed, 3; 
important rebel mails destroyed, 3 ; tannery burned, 1 ; 
horses captured, over 1,200; value of property destroyed, 
over $4,000,000. Besides cutting off all railroad communi- 
cation with the rebel strongholds on the Mississippi, as well 
as entirely destroying muskets, tents, stores, leather, boots, 
saddles, etc., of great value to the rebels in a military point 
of view." 

Grierson and Hatch's loss was only three killed, seven 
wounded, and fourteen missing. 

Meanwhile the navy had attacked the rebel batteries at 
Grand Gulf, and Grant had marched to Bruinsburg, and 
was now before Tort Gibson. McClernand, who led the 



LIFE OF GRANT. 143 

advance, divided his force, sending Osterhaus with a division 
to assault the place on the left, while, with Ilovey's, Carr's, 
and A. J. Smith's brigades, he attacked on the right. The 
battle of Port Gibson was a hard one, General Grant being 
on the ground, and personally in command — for he well 
knew, if he suffered another defeat, or even check, his whole 
expedition against Vicksburg would be at an end. On the 
left, Osterhaus drove the enemy back all day, but on the 
right the fight was more stubborn. Logan's division had 
come up, and Grant sent a brigade to reenforce McClernand's 
right, where the fight was hottest; at the same time order- 
ing Logan to take position on the left, with the other bri- 
gade. Charging with the bayonet, and working their way 
through the tangled cane-brake, Osterhaus' troops drove the 
rebels from their strongest positions on the left. The sight 
of fresh troops on the right, caused the enemy to fall back, 
and by night he was in full retreat. Darkness put an end 
to the conflict on the left, and next morning the rebels were 
gone, having crossed Bayou Pierre in the night, and de- 
stroyed the bridge behind them. 

Grant determined to vigorously follow up the rebels, and 
compel them to fight or take refuge in their strong works at 
Vicksburg. Stripping his army of all surplus baggage, he 
put it on the roads, and pushed rapidly forward. Grant, at 
this time, was in admirable light marching order. In start- 
ing on the movement, the General had disincumbered him- 
self of every thing, setting an example to his officers and 
men. He took neither a horse nor a servant, overcoat nor 
blanket, nor tent, nor camp-chest, nor even a clean shirt. 
His only baggage consisted of a box of cigars and a tooth- 
brush, lie always showed his teeth to the rebels. lie 
shared all the hardships of the private soldier, sleeping in 
the front and in the open air, and eating hard-tack and salt 
pork, lie wore no sword, had on a low-crowned, citizen's 



ii 



244 LIFE 0F g rant - 

hat, and the only thing about him to mark him as a military 
man was his two stars on his undress military coat. 

On the 3d of May, Mcpherson and Logan, who had been 
driving the cncmy"belbre them, about four o'clock in the 
afternoon came upon a strong force of rebels near Big 
Black River, ami drove them precipitately across the 
stream It was now evident that the rebels were evacuat- 
ing Grand Gulf, and Grant hurried thither with one brigade 
organ's division, but arrived too late; not only was 
Grand Gulf deserted, but all the country between Big 
Black and Bayou Pierre open. On arriving at Grand Guli, 
Grant, who had not been in bed, nor had his clothes oft 
since leaving Bruinsburg, went on board a gunboat, took a 
good sleep, and then borrowed a change of linen from Ad- 
miral Porter, after which he wrote dispatches till miamght. 
Grant now received information that Pemberton was 
marching out of Vicksburg to give him battle, while the 
rebel Joseph E. Johnston was coming down from Jackson, 
to fall upon his rear. The movement he contemplated 
presented most splendid advantages, but. also difficulties 
and dangers that well might appal! the heart of any com- 
mander. He must advance between two powerful armies, 
either of which was strong enough to be a formidable 
adversary, and both, by combining, could crush h.m. Ba- 
deau tells ns that Grant's officers were seriously alarmed at 
the situation of affairs. His most trusted associates be- 
sought him to change his plans, while his superiors were 
astounded at his temerity, and strove to interfere 

Soldiers of reputation and civilians in high place con- 
demned in advance a campaign that seemed to tl.em as hope- 
less as it was unprecedented. If he failed, the country 
would concur with the government and the generals. Grant 
knew all this, and appreciated his danger, but was as invul- 
nerable to the apprehensions of ambition as to the entreaties 



LIFE OF GRANT. 145 

of friendship or the anxieties even of patriotism. That quiet 
confidence which never forsook him, and which amounted 
indeed almost to a feeling of fate, was uninterrupted. Hav- 
ing once determined in a matter that required irreversible 
decision, he never reversed, nor even misgave, but was 
steadily loyal to himself and his plans. This absolute and 
implicit faith was, however, as far as possible from conceit 
or enthusiasm. It was simply a consciousness — or convic- 
tion, rather— which brought the very strength it believed 
in — which was itself strength — and which inspired others 
with a trust in him, because he was able thus to trust him- 
self. 

General Howard also has alluded to this strong convic- 
tion, on the part of General Grant, that success would 
crown his endeavors. It is stated in a paragraph in the 
New York Times, of February 18th : 

" General Howard says that General Grant is strictly a 
temperate man and religious. His marked characteristic is 
a wonderful faith in his success, amounting almost to the 
fatality in which Napoleon so strongly believed. General 
Howard can be relied on." 

" My army,'' he wrote, " is composed of hardy and dis- 
ciplined men, who know no defeat, and are not willing to 
learn what it is." 

It is said, that, during all the fatigues of this campaign, 
General Grant practiced total abstinence from all intoxica- 
ting drinks. This is the testimony of those who were con- 
stantly with him. 

An officer on his staff, who must have been acquainted 
with his daily habits, wrote some time after this: 

" If you could see the General as he sits just over beyond 
me, with his wife and two children, looking more like a chap- 
lain than a general, with that quiet air so impossible to des- 
cribe, you would not ask me if he drinks. He rarely ever 
10 



146 LIFE OF Git ANT. 



rnt.in 
a 



uses intoxicating liquors. He is more moderate in his hab- 
its and desires, and more pure and spotless in his private 
character, than almost any man I ever knew. He is more 
brave, has more power to command, and more ability to 
plan, than any man I ever served under ; cool to excess 
when others lose nerve, always hopeful, always undisturbed, 
never failing to accomplish what he undertakes." 

In this connection, the following extracts from the pen of 
Major Penniman will be read with interest: 

" I have seen him in the familiarity and seclusion of 
camp life, and I know perfectly well what his personal 
habits are. He messes with his staff as he would with his 
own family. No intoxicating liquors are on the table at 
dinner or at any other time. It is not his habit to use them, 
nor does he encourage it in others. No man of all the hun- 
dreds of thousands he has commanded ever heard General 
Grant use profane language." 

To add to his difficulties, Grant, who had been expecting 
assistance from Banks, received a letter from that general 
saying that he could not reach Port Hudson for two weeks, 
and, even after the reduction of that place, he could only 
reenforce Grant's army with about twelve thousand men. 
The President wrote Grant: "When you got below and 
took Port Gibson and Grand Gulf, I thought you should go 
down the river and join General Banks; and when you 
turned northward, east of the Big Black, I feared it was a 
mistake." Halleck wrote : "If possible, the forces of your- 
self and Banks should be united between Vicksburg and 
Port Hudson, so as to attack these places separately with 
combined forces." Turning a deaf ear to the arguments of 
his inferiors and imploring his superiors to grant him a few 
days respite from their orders, Grant turned his back on 
the Mississippi River and started for Hankinson's Ferry. 
Telegraphing his commissary, " Bush me forward rations 



LIFE OF GRANT. 147 

with all dispatch," he set his army in motion, traveling with 
it on foot, riding borrowed horses, messing with any gen- 
eral near whose camp he happened to be, and sleeping at 
night in the porches of houses on the road. When he left 
Hard Times he took no baggage but a bunch- of cigars, a 
towel and a tooth-brush, and his food consisted of a pound 
of boiled meat which he carried wrapped in the towel. Tel- 
egraphing to Washington, " You will probably not hear from 
me for several days," he cut loose from his communications 
and plunged into the wilderness of Black River. 

Sending Sherman to make a feint on Haines' Bluff, and 
Logan to fall upon the enemy at Raymond, Grant quietly 
but anxiously awaited the result of his first move. Logan, 
on the 12th of May, about ten o'clock, came upon the 
rebel Gregg's brigade, which was soon reenforced by that 
of W. H. Walker. The fighting was severe, lasting two 
hours, when the rebels gave way and fled toward Jackson. 
Logan lost sixty-nine killed and three hundred and forty- 
one wounded. The loss of the enemy was much greater. 
Sherman made a dash toward Haines' Bluff, and then turned 
off and joined McPherson. 

As soon as Grant heard of the victory at Raymond, he 
ordered McPherson and Sherman to move with all dispatch 
by parallel roads upon Jackson, where Joseph E. Johnston 
was reported to be with his rebel army. All the divisions 
were now concentrating on Jackson, and it was expected a 
great battle would soon be fought. 

The following is a full account of the preliminary move- 
ments of the army, before the final advance on Raymond 
and Jackson : 

"On Thursday, the 7th of May, General McPherson, 
commanding the Seventeenth Army Corps, moved his troops 
to Rocky Springs, and his camp was occupied next day by 
General Sherman, with the Fifteenth Army Corps. On 



148 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Saturday, the 9th, General McPherson again moved to the 
eastward, to the village of Utica, crossing the road occupied 
by the Thirteenth Army Corps, under General McClernand, 
and leaving the latter on his left. On Sunday morning, the 
10th, General McClernand marched to Five Mile Creek, and 
encamped on the south bank at noon, on account of broken 
bridges, which were repaired the same day. On Monday 
morning, the 11th, General Sherman's corps came up, passed 
General McClernand's, and encamped that night at the vil- 
lage of Auburn, about ten miles south of Edwards' Station, 
which is on a portion of the railroad from Yicksburg to 
Jackson. As soon as it passed, General McClernand's corps 
followed a few miles, and then took a road going obliquely 
to the left, leading to Hall's Ferry, on the Big Black River. 
Thus, on Monday evening, May 11th, General McClernand 
was at Hall's Ferry ; General Sherman was at Auburn, six 
or eight miles to the north-east, and General McPherson 
was about eight miles still further to the north-east, a few 
miles north of Utica. The Avhole formed an immense line 
of battle; Sherman's corps being in the center, with those 
of McPherson and McClernand forming the right and left 
wings. It will be observed, also, that a change of front had 
been effected. From Grand Gulf the army marched east- 
ward; but, b}' these last movements, it had swung on the 
left as a pivot, and fronted nearly northward. 

"Up to this the enemy had not appeared on our line of 
march. On Tuesday morning, May 12th, General McCler- 
nand's advance drove in the enemy's pickets near Hall's 
Ferry, and brisk skirmishing ensued for an hour or two, 
with little loss to either side. By noon the rebels had dis- 
appeared from his front, and seven wounded and none killed 
w T as the total Union loss. General Sherman put Steele's 
division in motion early in the morning, and came upon the 
enemy at the crossing of Fourteen Mile Creek, four miles 



LIFE OF GRANT. M!) 

from Auburn. The cavalry advance was fired into from the 
thick woods that skirt the stream, and was unable, owing to 
the nature of the ground, to make a charge or clear the 
rebels from their position. A battery was taken to the 
front, supported by two infantry regiments, and threw a 
few shell into the bushy undergrowth skirting the stream, 
which gave them cover. Skirmishers were thrown out and 
advanced to the creek, driving the enemy slowly. A bri- 
gade was thrown to the right and left flanks, when the rebel 
forces, mainly cavalry, withdrew toward Raymond. The 
bridge was burned during the skirmish, but a crossing was 
constructed in two hours, and the trains were passing before 
noon. 

Grant was never behind his troops, but each day changed 
his head-quarters, keeping with the advance of the center 
of the three columns, the better to direct the movements 
of all." 



150 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER IX. 

PEMBERTON DECEIVED BY GRANT — DEFEAT OF JOHNSTON CAPTURE OF 

JACKSON DESTRUCTION OF REBEL PROPERTY JOHNSTON DECEIVED BY 

GRANT — MEETING OF SHERMAN, GRANT AND M'PHERSON AT THE STATE 
CAPITAL ADVANCE ON PEMBEETON BATTLE OF CHAMPION HILLS — DE- 
TAILS OF THE BATTLE RETREAT OF PEMBERTON SHERMAN S OPINION 

OF THE CAMPAIGN — GRANT'S REPLY FIRST ASSAULT ON VICKSBURG — 

DETAILS OF THE ACTION THE NAVAL OPERATIONS ON THE RIVER COM- 
MUNICATION WITH GRANT ESTABLISHED HAINES' BLUFF SEIZED FOR A 

NEW BASE — PREPARATIONS FOR THE SIEGE. 

To deceive Pemberton as to his destination, Grant sent 
McClernand to threaten Edwards' Station. Very skillfully 
McClernand deluded the foe, making him believe, until it 
was too late to help Johnston, that Edwards' Station was 
the objective point of attack. Sherman and McPherson 
were now nearing Jackson by different roads, and Johnston, 
alarmed at their approach, hastily sent an order to Pember- 
ton to attack them in the rear at Clinton, but Pemberton 
had his hands full with McClernand, and was himself ex- 
pecting an attack. Johnston marched out of Jackson and 
intrenched in battle array, hoping to check Grant in front 
until Pemberton could fall upon his rear. 

On the 14th of May, Sherman and McPherson met 
before Jackson, and at once commenced the attack in 
the midst of a heavy rain. As the hostile batteries were 
exchanging shots, General Grant carefully examined the 
ground, and posted his troops for the decisive attack. We 
will not attempt to describe the tactics of the battle. For 



LIFE OP GRANT. 151 

an hour it was delayed by a shower, in which the windows 
of heaven seemed to be opened, and both armies were 
drenched by the flood. No man could open his cartridge- 
box, lest it should be instantly filled with water. 

As the rain abated, the battle commenced with the inces- 
sant rattle of musketry and the roar of artillery. Both 
parties fought with fierceness, with desperation. Sherman, 
early in the action, discovered the weakness of the enemy 
on his right, and pushing out a reconnoissance, he turned 
their defenses and caused a rapid evacuation of this part of 
their line. Meanwhile McPherson made a spirited assault 
on the left, Crocker's division charging with a yell, and com- 
pletely breaking the rebel line. The enemy now fearing 
that Sherman, who was coming rapidly down the Missis- 
sippi Springs road, would get in their rear, fled in confusion, 
leaving seventeen cannon, the State capitol, and a vast quan- 
tity of valuable property in the hands of the Union troops. 
General Grant, with his staff, was the first to enter the ene- 
my's works. His son, a lad of thirteen years, accompanied 
him upon this campaign. As they approached the town, the 
boy galloped ahead, and was the first to enter the capital 
of Mississippi. 

General Grant allowed himself not a moment to repose 
upon his laurels. Indeed the rebels were all around him, 
and the utmost activity and vigilance were requisite to se- 
cure himself from disaster. The troops marched into the 
streets, and the national banner was proudly unfurled from 
the State House. The intrenchments and rifle-pits outside 
of the city were occupied by the Union troops. General 
Grant took possession of the house which General Johnston 
had the night before occupied. After destroying the rail- 
roads, bridges, arsenals, and every thing that could be of 
military use to the rebels, Grant gave immediate orders for 
the troops to wheel about, march with all rapidity to Ed- 



15'2 LIFE OF GRANT. 

wards' Station and attack Pemberton. The soldiers, who 
had now begun to understand something about Grant's 
tactics, obeyed with alacrity, regardless of hunger or fatigue. 
In the evening Grant met his fighting generals, Sherman 
and McPherson, at the State House, and warm were the 
hand-shakings and congratulations. 

Johnston, after his defeat at Jackson, had retreated about 
fifteen miles north by the Canton road, where he began 
fortifying, still expecting Pemberton to come up and attack 
Grant in the rear. Leaving him to enjoy his trenches, 
Grant, on the 15th, began his march on Pemberton. At 
five o'clock on the morning of the 16th, two railroad men, 
who were employes of the army, had passed through Pem- 
berton's camps the evening before, were brought to Grant's 
head-quarters and reported that the rebel troops were ad- 
vancing to attack him. Sherman, who had been left behind, 
was at once ordered up, and preparations made to meet 
him. Grant, who was always in the immediate vicinity of 
his fighting forces, and directing their movements, came up 
to Clinton and established his head-quarters. The troops 
were posted in the following order: 

Extreme left, General Smith, supported by General Blair; 
on the right of General Smith, General Osterhaus, sup- 
ported by General Carr; General Hovey in the center, with 
General McPherson'" s corps on the extreme right, with Gen- 
eral Crocker as reserve. In this order the advance was 
made. General McClernand's corps, with the exception of 
General Hovey's division, reaching the position by way of 
the several roads leading from Raymond to Edwards' Sta- 
tion. 

The first demonstration of the enemy was on our extreme 
left, which he attempted to turn. This attempt was most 
gallantly repulsed by General Smith, commanding the left 
wing. At seven o'clock the skirmishers were actively en- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



153 



gaged; and as the enemy sought the cover of the forest 
our artillery fire was opened, which continued without inter- 
mission for two hours. At this time General Ransom's 
brigade marched on the field, and took up a position as 
reserve behind Genera] Carr. 

Now the battle raged fearfully along the entire line, the 
evident intention of the enemy being to mass his forces 
upon Hovey on the center. There the light was most 




Champion Hill? Battle Geo 



earnest; but General McPherson brought his forces into 
the field, and after four hours hard fighting the tide of bat- 
tle was turned and the enemy forced to retire. 

Disappointed in his movements upon our right, the rebels 
turned their attention to the left of Hovey's division, where 
Colonel Slack commanded a brigade of Indianians. Mass- 
ing his forces here, the enemy hurled them against the 
opposing columns with irresistible impetuosity, and forced 



154 LIFE OP GRANT. 

them to fall back; not, liowewer, until at least one quarter 
of the troops comprising the brigade were either killed or 
wounded. Taking a new position, and receiving fresh re- 
enforcements, our soldiers again attempted to stem the tide, 
this time with eminent success. The enemy was beaten 
back, and compelled to seek the cover of the forest in his 
rear. Following up their advantage, without waiting to 
reform, the soldiers of the Western army fixed their bayo- 
nets and charged into the woods after them. The rebels 
were seized with an uncontrollable panic, and thought only 
of escape. In this terrible charge men were slaughtered 
by hundreds. The ground was literally covered with the 
dead and dying. The enemy scattered in every direction, 
and rushed through the fields to reach the column now 
moving to the west along the Vicksburg road. At three 
o'clock in the afternoon, the battle was over and the victory 
won. 

Of the part taken in this battle by McPherson's corps, 
it is onlv necessary to say that it rendered the most efficient 
and satisfactory assistance. To it belongs the credit of 
winning the fight on the extreme right. 

The battle ended, the left wing was speedily advanced 
upon the Yieksburg road, driving the enemy rapidly before 
them, and picking up as they advanced numbers of prison- 
ers and guns. 

On the left of the road we could see large squads of rebel 
soldiers and commands cut off from the main column, and 
whom we engaged at intervals with artillery. 

Thus we pushed the enemy until nearly dark, when we 
entered the little village, known by the name of Edwards' 
Station, the enemy was leaving it. 

When, within rifle range of the station, we discovered, 
on the left, a large building in flames, and on the right a 
smaller one from which, just then, issued a series of magnifi- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 155 

cent explosions. The former contained commissary stores, 
and the latter shell and ammunition — five car-loads — brought 
down from Vicksburg on the morning of the day of the 
battle. In their hasty exit from Edwards' Station, the 
rebels could not take this ammunition with them, but con- 
signed it to the flames rather than it should fall into our 
hands. We bivouacked in line of battle at night, and next 
day moved upon the bridge across Big Black River. 

The following extracts from General McClernand's official 
report will also prove interesting, inasmuch as it sets forth 
the part taken by General Grant in this brilliant aflair : 

" The different divisions were started at different hours, 
in consequence of the different distances they had to march, 
which was designed to secure a parallel advance of the col- 
umns. Believing that General Hovey's division needed 
support, I sent a dispatch to General Grant, requesting that 
General McPherson's corps should also move forward. As- 
surances altogether satisfactory were given by the General, 
and I felt confident of our superiority." 

After alluding to the demonstrations made in the early 
part of the contest, General McClernand continues: 

"Early notifying Major-General Grant and Major-Gen- 
eral McPherson of what had transpired on the left, I re- 
quested the latter to cooperate with my forces on the right, 
and directed General Hovey to advance promptly but care- 
fully, and received a dispatch from General Hovey inform- 
ing me that he had found the enemy strongly posted in 
front; that General McPherson's corps was behind him; 
that his right flank would probably encounter severe resist- 
ance ; and inquiring whether he should bring on the impend- 
ing battle.. My command was now about four miles from 
Edwards' Station, and immediately informing Major-General 
Grant, ivhom I understood to be on the field, of the position 
of affairs, I inquired whether I should brine on a general 



156 LIFE OF GRANT. 

engagement. A dispatch from the General, dated at thirty- 
five minutes past noon, came, directing me to throw forward 
skirmishers as soon as my forces were on hand, to feel and 
attack the enemy in force, if opportunity occurred, and in- 
forming me that he was with Hovey and McPherson, and 
ivould see. that they fully cooperated. Meanwhile, a line of 
skirmishers had encountered Generals Osterhaus and Smith's 
divisions, closing up the narrow space between them. 
These measures had been taken in compliance with General 
Grant's orders, based on information of which he had advised 
me, that the enemy was in greatest strength in front of my 
center and left, and might turn my left flank and gain my 
rear. . . . Instantly upon the receipt of General Grants 
order to attack, I hastened to do so." 

The following is General Johnston's dispatch announcing 
the defeat of the rebel forces : 

"Camp between Livingston and Brownsville, Miss., ) 

'•May 18, 1863. j 

"To GeneralS. Cooper: 

"Lieutenant-General Pemberton was attacked by the 
enemy on the morning of the 16th inst., near Edwards' 
Depot, and, after nine hours' fighting, was compelled to fall 
back behind the Big Black. 

; ' J. E. Johnston, General Commanding." 

The dispatch also shows the position of the forces that 
retreated from Jackson, and how, by General Grant's rapid 
movements, they had been cut off from forming a junction 
with Pemberton. 

The Union forces lost about twenty-four hundred men, 
killed, wounded, and missing. The rebel loss was over 
three thousand. 

Grant ordered the troops to push on with all haste, and 
attack Vicksburg. The bridge over Big Black was speedily 
built, and at nine o'clock on the 18th, Sherman's advance 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



157 



was within three miles and a half of the city. Sherman, at 
the beginning of the campaign, wrote to Grant, telling him 
he could not ration his command over the narrow and tor- 
tuous roads of Black River. Grant replied he did not 
intend to haul rations for his army. When Sherman read 
Grant's reply, he exclaimed, "Zounds, is the man mad; 
what can he mean?" The question had remained unan- 
swered in Sherman's mind until the morning of the 18th 
of May, when he and Grant, who were riding together, 
ascended one of the high walnut hills, near Vicksburg, 




■ ;--"- 



ii 



Grant's Heab-qcautkrs at Vkksisueg. 



overlooking Yazoo River and Haines' Bluff. As Uncle 
Billy's eye caught sight of the deep stream, and the rear 
of the bluffs, he had, in vain, sought to ascend a few months 
before, he turned abruptly to Grant and, with deep feeling, 
said. '• Until this moment, General, I never thought your 
expedition a success. I never could see the end clearly, 
but I see it all now. This is indeed a campaign; a success 
if we never take the town." 

Grant, in )\'\< quiet taciturn way. knocked the ashes off 



158 LIFE OF GRANT. 

his cigar and replied: "X guess it will do, and we shall take 
the place.*' 

The troops now began to wind up the hills and encircle 
the doomed city. McClernand took the south side, Mc- 
Pherson the center, and Sherman on the right. The enemy 
fell back precipitately from Haines' Bluff, leaving fourteen 
guns in our hands. During the morning the rebels seemed 
to be giving away at all points, and a large number of 
prisoners were taken. 

The fall of Yicksburg was now certain. The only ques- 
tion was, how many days it would be able to hold out. 

But three weeks had passed since General Grant com- 
menced his campaign. He had marched in that time over 
two hundred miles, had fought five battles, in which over 
twelve thousand rebels had been either killed, wounded, 
or taken prisoners. He had seized the capital of the State 
of Mississippi, and destroyed the railroads leading to it for 
a distance of more than thirty miles around. He had 
started upon this enterprise without baggage wagons, and 
with an average of but two days' rations in the soldiers' 
haversacks. His losses in all — killed, wounded, and missing 
— were but four thousand three hundred and thirty-five. 
As the crowning result of all this, he had invested the city 
and garrison of Vicksburg so that their fall was inevitable. 
The fall of Vicksburg insured the evacuation of Port 
Hudson. Thus the Mississippi would be open to the nation 
from Cairo to its mouths. 

Anxious to conclude his brilliant campaign, and "retying," 
says General Grant, "upon the demoralization of the enemy 
in consequence of repeated defeats outside of Vicksburg, I 
ordered a general assault at two P. M. on this day." 

The following account of the first attack on Vicksburg, 
written by an eye-witness, will be read with interest: 

"The corps of General Sherman moved up on the Haines' 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



159 



Bluff road, by a sort of 
poetic justice taking pos- 
session of the ground by 
the rear which he had 
once vainly attempted to 
gain from the front. Mc- 
pherson advanced on the 
Jackson road, and covered 
the ground from the left 
of Sherman to the rail- 
road, while McClernand's > 
corps occupied the front I 
from the railroad to the t, 
extreme left. 3 m 

' k The action Logan by § 
a slow fire from our ar- e 
tillery along the whole 
line, our guns having a 
pretty long range, and 
eliciting but feeble re- 
sponse from the enemy. 
"About noon, Oster- 



haus' division advanced 
on the left to within about 
six hundred yards of the 
enemy's works, to find 
themselves confronted by fifteen redoubts, with their rifle- 
pits, which opened fire upon us whenever we appeared on a 
crest or through a hollow. 




..> ^ C T— -.. --=5-:. 



*The streets of Vicksburg are cut through the hills, and houses are 
often seen far above the street passengers. In the perpendicular bunks 
formed by these cuttings, and composed of clay, caves were dug at the 
beginning of the siege, some of them sufficiently large to accommodate 
•vhole families, and, in some instances, communicating with each other 



160 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



seemed 
to try. 



"The guns of the 
rebels appeared to be 
of small caliber, throw- 
ing principally grape 
and canister. Our skir- 
mishers were thrown 
| further up ; but little 
i firing was dwie on 
> either side. 
Z "At two o'clock the 
£ order came for a gen- 
< eral advance upon the 
rebel works, over 
ground which, on the 
left, at least, was al- 
most impassable under 
the most peaceful cir- 
cumstances. The order 
hard one : yet nothing is too hard for true soldiers 




by corridors. Such was the character of some made on Main Street, 
opposite the house of Colonel Lyman J. Strong, for the use of his 
family and others, and of which the writer made the accompanying 
sketch in April, 1866. The caves were then in a partially ruinous 
state, as were most of them in and around Yicksburg, for rains had 
washed the banks away, or had caused the filling of the caves. Id 
this picture the appearance of the caves, in their best estate, is 
delineated, with furniture, in accordance with descriptions given to 
the writer by the inhabitants. 

A graphic account of the events in these crypts is given in a little 
volume entitled, "My Cace-Life in Vicksburg, by a Lady" published in 
New York, in 1861. It was written by the wife of a Confederate 
officer who was in the besieged city, and lived in one of these caves 
with her children and servants. 

The picture in the text above gives a good idea of the external 
appearance of these caves, in the suburbs of the city. It is from a 



LIFE OF GRANT. 161 

" General A. L. Lee, who commanded the First Brigade of 
Osterhaus' division, and was in the advance, determined to 
carry out his orders if their execution was possible. Ad- 
dressing a few words of cheer to his men, he placed himself 
in front of the center of his brigade, led them forward in 
line of battle, and was the first man to gain the crest of the 
hill which he was attempting. He then found that it was 
only the first of several ridges which were to be crossed, the 
ravines between which were swept by the guns of the 
enemy's redoubt. Still he tried to press on, and his brigade 
of brave fellows to follow him, the air, in the meantime, 
thick with bullets and shells ; but a ball from the rifle of a 
sharpshooter struck him in the face and he fell. His 
brigade withdrew a few feet only, behind the crest of the 
hill on which they had just raised, and held their position ; 
one of the regiments getting so favorable a point, that they 
were able to remain within about two hundred yards of one 
of the redoubts, and to prevent the gunners from firing a 
single shot. 

"I am glad to say that General Lee, though severely, was 
by no means dangerously wounded. His brigade sustained 
a much smaller loss than a distant observer could have 
believed possible. 

"The same degree of success, or want of success, attended 
the movement along the whole line. Our forces moved very 
close to the works, and then remained waiting and watching 
for the nearer approach of our artillery. At night-fall our 
troops retired a short distance, and went into camp. Dur- 
ing the night heavy siege-guns were planted by us for future 

sketch made by the writer on the old Jackson road, where the 
Second Mississippi Regiment was stationed during a portion of the 
siege. In the view, the spectator is looking down toward Vicksburg. 
A plain, and the bluffs on the border of the Mississippi, are seen in 
the distance. — Lossing s Civil War in America. 



162 LIFE OF GRANT. 

use, our light artillery moved nearer, and a slight earth- 
work was thrown up to protect them. 

" To-day (Wednesday, May 20th) the heavy guns on our 
left opened long before daylight. As heretofore, the enemy 
have failed to reply. Our skirmishers are pushed forward 
within a hundred and fifty yards of the whole line of the 
redoubts, and keep so sharp a lookout that the enemy finds 
it impossible to work his guns. 

"On the center two heavy siege-guns are in position less 
than half a mile from a strong fort just in front of them — so 
near that the Minid-bullets were whistling merrily past the 
ears of the workmen. To-morrow they will open on the 
fort. 

" On the risrht. Sherman still holds his line of skirmishers 
well up to the rebel forts on his front, and the artillerists 
are trying to level the rebel works, so far without success. 
During our operations to-day, thirty or forty men were 
wounded." 

In the meantime, Admiral Porter, who was on the river 
just below Yicksburg, with his gunboats, hearing the firing 
on the 18th, had advanced to cooperate with the army. 
The Choctaw, Romeo, and Forest Rose, under Lieutenant 
Commander Breese, were ordered to the Yazoo, with 
instructions to push on until they opened communications 
with Grant or Sherman. This they did in a handsome 
manner. The De Kalb steamed up and took possession of 
Haines' Bluff, where Grant established his new base of 
supplies, and began preparations for the siege. 






LIFE OF GRANT. 163 



CHAPTER X. 

SECOND ATTACK ON VICKSBURG FULL ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE MISUN- 
DERSTANDING BETWEEN GRANT AND m'cLERNAND— POSITION OF THE 

ARMY PEMBERTON'S ADDRESS SHERMAN^ EXPEDITION THE MINES 

AT VICKSBURG TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF A MINE — FIGHT IN THE CRA- 
TER — PEMBERTON GIVES UP THE GHOST — HIS LETTERS TO GRANT THEIR 

INTERVIEW GRANT'S LETTERS TO PEMBERTON — SURRENDER OF THE 

REBEL GARRISON ADVANCE OF THE UNION TROOPS INTO VICKSBURG 

GRANT AT PEMBERTON'S HEAD-QUARTERS IMPORTANCE OF THE SURREN- 
DER OF VICKSBURG LINCOLN'S LETTER TO GRANT. 

After the first attack on the works at Vicksburg, Grant 
withdrew his forces to a short distance from the rebel lines, 
and began throwing up intrenchments. Skirmishing con- 
tinued lively, and Grant gave his rebel foes no rest by day 
or by night. Having completed his communications, estab- 
lished his depots, and supplied his hungry and weary army 
with an abundance of rations, the great General began to 
think of more fighting. 

It was now near the end of May, and General Grant 
determined to at once assault the works, afterward dying 
his reasons, as follows: 

"I believed an assault from the positions gained by this 
time could be made successfully. It was known that 
Johnston was at Canton with the force taken by him from 
Jackson, reenforced by other troops from the East, and 
that more were daily reaching him. With the force I had, 
a short time must have enabled him to attack me in the 
rear, and, possibly, succeed in raising the siege. Posses- 



164 LIFE OF GRANT. 

sion of Vicksburg at that time would have enabled me to 
have turned upon Johnston, and driven him from the State, 
and possess myself of all the railroads and practical mili- 
tary highways, thus effectually securing to ourselves all 
territory west of the Tombigbee, and this before the season 
was too far advanced for campaigning in this latitude. I 
would have saved the Government sending large reinforce- 
ments, much needed elsewhere ; and, finally, the troops 
themselves were impatient to possess Vicksburg, and would 
not have worked in the trenches with the same zeal, be- 
lieving it unnecessary, that they did after their failure to 
carry the enemy's works." 

Feeling that it was best, for many reasons, to make the 
assault with as little delay as possible, he commenced his 
advance with General McClernand, with the Thirteenth 
Army Corps on the left, General McPherson, with the 
Seventeenth in the center, and General Sherman, with the 
Fifteenth, on the right. 

On the night of the 21st and the morning of the 22d of 
May, Porter vigorously shelled the rebel forts, and at ten 
o'clock, the Union columns, under cover of a fierce artillery 
fire, were in motion. Grant stationed himself on the sum- 
mit in Mcpherson's front, where he could see the opera- 
tions of all the Seventeenth Corps and parts of the Thir- 
teenth and Fifteenth, under McClernand and Sherman. 
Blair's division led Sherman's Corps, with Tuttle's in sup- 
port, while Steele moved to the right* and made an attack. 
A correspondent, who witnessed the fight, gave this account 
of it: 

"For two long hours did the cannonade continue, when 
a general charge was made. Winding through the valleys, 
clambering over the hills, every-where subjected to a mur- 
derous enfilading and cross-fire, the advance pressed up 
close to the rebel works — to find that a deep ditch, pro- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 165 

tected by sharp stakes along the outer edge, lay between 
them and the intrenchments. They planted their flag di- 
rectly before the fort, and crouched down behind the em- 
bankment, out of range of the rebel fire, as calmly as pos- 
sible, to await developments. The soldiers within the forts 
could not rise above the parapet to fire at them, for if they 
did, a hundred bullets came whizzing through the air, and 
the adventurers died. 

"The rebels, however, adopted another plan. Taking a 
shell, they cut the fuse close off, lighted it, and rolled it 
over the outer slope of the embankment. 

"Subsequently, with picks and shovels, a way was dug 
into one fort, and, through the breach, the boys walked 
bravely in. The first fort on the left of the railroad was 
stormed by a portion of General Carr's division, and gal- 
lantly taken. The colonel that led the charge was wounded. 

" On the center the fire was persistent and terrible. Many 
brave officers were killed, and many more wounded. Col- 
onel Dollins, of the Eighty-first Illinois, fell dead while 
leading his men to the charge. 

"Later in the afternoon, Gen. Ransom's brigade charged 
the works opposite his position, with heavy loss. 

"Steele and Tuttle, on the right, were also heavily en- 
gaged, and the former is reported to have lost nearly a thou- 
sand men." 

A gentleman, who was present at General Grant's head- 
quarters during the assault, writes as follows : 

"At a given hour the troops were in motion, moving along 
the ravines, in which to assume the required formation and 
make the attack. The charges were most admirably exe- 
cuted. With perfect composure, the men moved up the hill, 
though not under fire, yet under the influence of a dreadful 
anticipation of a deadly volley at close quarters. When 
within forty yards of the works, of a sudden the parapet 



166 LIFE OP GRANT. 

was alive with armed men, and in an instant more the flash 
of thousands of muskets hurled death and destruction most 
appalling into the ranks of our advancing columns. Five 
hundred men lay dead or bleeding on one part of the field 
at the first fire. Bravely, against all odds, this command 
fought, until its depleted ranks could no longer stand, when 
sullenly it withdrew, under cover of a hill near by. In 
addition to the heavy musketry fire which repelled the as- 
sault, artillery played, with dreadful havoc, upon the fading 
ranks, which, after every effort to win the goal, were obliged 
to give way — not to numbers, but impregnability of position. 

"Upon the whole, as regards the designs of our move- 
ment, we were frustrated, but nothing more. Our troops, 
with but few exceptions, held their own. The loss of this 
day's engagement has been exceedingly heavy, according 
to first accounts, which are not the most reliable, and it is 
to be hoped the authenticated returns will greatly lessen 
the casualties." 

Grant had, in his various assaulting columns, about thirty 
thousand men, while Pemberton opposed him with about 
eighteen thousand. The Union loss, in killed, wounded, 
and missing, was three thousand, and that of the rebels 
thirteen hundred. 

On the field, during the action, a sharp correspondence 
took place between Genera) Grant and General McClernand, 
the latter calling loudly and repeatedly for reinforcements 
when the former did not think he needed them. Grant, at 
length, reluctantly sent Quimby's division to McClernand, 
and ordered Sherman to make an assault in his favor, which 
greatly increased the mortality, without accomplishing any 
good result. McClernand's men, however, fought well, and, 
at one time, Benton's brigade, of Carr's division, and Bur- 
bridge's brigade, of Smith's division, had advanced so far 
as to plant their flags on the slopes of the enemy s forts. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 167 

The unfortunate misunderstanding between Generals Grant 
and McClernand during the battle subsequently led to the 
latter being relieved, and General Ord was placed in com- 
mand of the Thirteenth Army Corps. 

Grant, finding he could not carry the enemy's works by 
assault, withdrew on the evening of the 22d, and commenced 
a regular siege. The place had not been as yet completely 
invested; communications between Johnston, at Canton, and 
Pemberton, at Vicksburg, still existed. At several points on 
the extreme left, rebel troops could slip out, and supplies be 
got in, and Grant, knowing the place could not be reduced 
while these leaks remained, sent for Lauman's division, at 
Memphis, Smith's and Kimball's divisions, of the Sixteenth 
Army Corps, Herron's division, from Arkansas, and two 
divisions of the Ninth Corps, under Parke, and these having 
arrived, on the 14th of June the doomed city lay within a 
wall of Union steel. 

Grant's army was now thus disposed: Sherman, with Fif- 
teenth Corps, on the extreme right — from the river to the 
roads leading to the north-east bastion ; McPherson, with 
the Seventeenth, on his left, extending to the railroad; Ord, 
with the Thirteenth Corps, on the left of McPherson, and ex- 
tending to Lauman's ; and Herron's division, at Stout's Bayou, 
and butting against the bluff, and resting on the swamp. 
Parke's troops, with Smith's and Kimball's divisions, were 
at Haines' Bluff, fortified ; General Sherman, with parts of 
the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps, watching Johnston. 

The siege was conducted with such vigor that, by the end 
of June, twelve miles of trenches had been dug, eighty-nine 
batteries reared, and two hundred and twenty guns put in 
position. 

Pemberton's troops had become greatly dissatisfied, and 
were openly charging him with having sold the battles of 
Champion Hills and Black River Bridge, and with intend- 



168 LIFE OF GRANT. 

ing to surrender Vicksburg the first opportunity. To satisfy 
them, the rebel general issued the following pithy address 
to his soldiers : 

" Comrades : You have heard that I was incompetent and a 
traitor, and that it was my intention to sell Vicksburg. Fol- 
low me, and you will see the cost at which I will sell Vicksburg. 
When the last pound of beef , bacon, and flour ; the last grain 
of com; the last cow,' and hog, and horse, and dog shall have 
been consumed, and the last man shall have perished in the 
trenches, then, and only then, zvill I sell Vicksburg." 

Seeing himself hopelessly bottled up, Pemberton, as early 
as the 27th of May, sent a courier to Johnston, with the 
following dispatch : 

"I have fifteen thousand men in Vicksburg, and rations 
for thirty days — one meal a day. Come to my aid, with 
an army of thirty thousand men. Attack Grant in the rear. 
If you can not do this within ten days, you had better re- 
treat. Ammunition is almost exhausted, particularly per- 
cussion caps." 

This dispatch was sent by a young man named Douglas, 
whom Pemberton considered entirely trustworthy, but no 
sooner did he find himself outside of the rebel lines, than he 
went direct to the Union head-quarters, and delivered his 
dispatch to General Grant instead of Johnston, as he had 
been commanded to do. 

Information reaching the ears of the commanding general 
that Johnston, in possession of a considerable force, was 
moving toward the Big Black River, with an intention of 
making a demonstration on our army in the rear of 
Vicksburg, induced the movement of a sufficient body of 
troops in that direction to meet the approaching enemy, if 
found, as reported, and engage him before he could effect a 
crossing, or, at every hazard, to repel any attempt he might 
make to secure a foothold on this side. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 169 

Sherman, who commanded this expedition, after a con- 
siderable march, returned, without finding Johnston, and 
brought the gratifying intelligence that the rear was all 
safe, bridges burned, trees felled to obstruct the roads, and 
that five hundred cattle and ten thousand pounds of bacon 
had been captured and brought in by the troops. 

On the 25th of June the sappers and miners reported the 
mines ready to be sprung. The greatest possible secresy 
had been observed concerning these mines, and, except the 
general officers, none but the workmen knew where they 
were, or when they would be exploded. Approaching them 
through the deep ditches and zigzag trenches lined with our 
sharpshooters, one saw little holes in the earth, where men 
were crawling in and out on their hands and knees, pushing 
pans of dirt before them. These were the mines. Larke 
says of them : 

"Looking around, one found himself in plain view and 
within five yards of the enemy's strongest work, the parapet 
of which was about twenty feet from the bottom of the 
ditch. This work was evidently of sod, almost perpendicular 
on its outer face, intended to mount four guns, and was 
supposed to be the keep of the rebel position. A few steps 
in advance, and the visitor was before the mine, which here 
had the appearance of a square shaft dug into the earth, 
with a gradual declivity as you penetrate. The entrance 
was made in the scarp of the enemy's fort, and presented 
an opening four feet square, well framed with timber to 
keep up the loose earth which the projectiles of the attack- 
ing party had broken from the face of the work. In order 
to protect the entrance, a number of gabions and boxes had 
been piled up before the mouth, and afforded ample security 
from hand grenades and shell thrown over by the rebel 
troops inside. 

"The main gallery, from the mouth to the point of diver- 



170 LIFE OF GRANT. 

gence of tlie other galleries, measured thirty-five feet. 
Here three smaller galleries set out, one ten feet deep, 
obliquely to the left ; another eight feet, diverging to the 
right; and a third, eight feet in length, being a continuation 
of the main gallery. The chambers for the reception of the 
powder were let into the bottom of the shaft, and were 
about two feet in depth. 

" Having completed one gallery, the powder was brought 
up and packed into the chambers in almost equal quantities, 
the entire quantity used being twenty-two hundred pounds, 
one thousand of which were placed at the end of the main 
gallery, the remainder being distributed in the extremities 
of the smaller galleries. From each of the chambers a fuse 
was run out to the mouth of the shaft, where the match was 
to be applied at the designated time. 

" The working party, engaged on the mines, was formed of 
a detail from various regiments under General Grant, a call 
being made to forward to head-quarters all practical miners 
in the regiments. Accordingly, in a few hours fifty picked 
men, chiefly Welsh, Scotch, English, and Irish, of experience 
in the old country, were immediately organized into a 
corps, under the direct command of a miner of reputation. 
This party reported to the chief of the corps of engineers, 
and the work at once commenced, the entire time occupied 
for the excavation being forty hours. 

"Another sap was also, on the last day, run off to the left, 
at an angle to the main one leading to the mine. This sap 
ran parallel to the enemy's breastwork, and just outside of 
where ran the exterior end of the ditch, which had been 
partly filled. The object of this new sap was to afford a 
secure place for the Union sharpshooters, and enable them 
to hold their ground on the right by keeping down a flank 
fire. The length of the sap was about fifty yards. 

"It may be supposed by some that the running of mines 



LIFE OF GRANT. 171 

is the mere operation of the pick and shovel, without inter- 
ference on the part of the enemy by means of the same 
instruments, as well as by his riflemen picking off the men 
as they approach, or by throwing hand grenades and shell 
over the parapet among the men. This idea is quite 
different from the reality. A few facts connected with the 
proceedings may enable the reader to form some notion of 
this dangerous operation. The work is generally performed 
after dark ; and, on the night preceding the explosion of 
June 25, 1863, the working party returned to the mine, 
already a depth of thirty-five feet, which was the entire 
number of feet of the main gallery. The men had but fairly 
commenced when they heard, as they supposed, near by, the 
picking and shoveling of another party, which they knew 
to be the enemy, endeavoring to intercept the Union mine. 
The men of the attacking side at once desisted from their 
labors, and applied their ears to the walls of the gallery in 
order to detect the direction of approach, if possible, of the 
enemy's countermine. Soon, however, the enemy himself 
ceased his labors. The Unionists once more resumed 
operations, and worked until midnight, the enemy working 
at the same time, and seemingly approaching the outside 
shaft. 'At this juncture,' says a correspondent, 'an 
unexpected panic overcame the workers, and they hurried 
out of the mine with considerable dispatch. The cause of 
this excitement is said to have been a suspicion that the 
enemy was about to blow up his own mine, in view of 
counteracting our own. Accordingly, nothing was done 
until morning, when the party, re-assured, renewed their 
work.' " 

The brilliant writer Keim, in his dispatches, thus describes 
the scene of the explosion : 

"Every thing was finished. The vitalizing spark had 
quickened the hitherto passive agent, and the now harmless 



172 LIFE OF GRANT. 

flashes went hurrying to the center. The troops had been 
withdrawn. The forlorn hope stood out in plain view, 
boldly awaiting the uncertainties of the precarious office. 
A chilling sensation ran through the frame as an observer 
looked down upon this devoted band about to hurl itself 
into the breach — perchance into the jaws of death. Thou- 
sands of men in arms flashed on every hill. Every one was 
speechless. Even men of tried valor — veterans insensible 
to the shouts of contending: battalions, or nerved to the 
shrieks of comrades suffering under the torture of painful 
agonies — stood motionless as they directed their eyes upon 
the spot where soon the terror of a buried agency would 
discover itself in wild concussions and cortortions, carrying 
annihilation to all within the scope of its tremendous power. 
It was the seeming torpor which precedes the antagonism 
of powerful bodies. Five minutes had elapsed. It seemed 
like an existence. Five minutes more, and yet no signs of 
the expected exhibition. An indescribable sensation of 
impatience, blended with a still active anticipation, ran 
through the assembled spectators. A small pall of smoke 
now discovered itself; every one thought the crisis had 
come, and almost saw the terrific scene which the mind had 
depicted. But not yet. Every eye now centered upon the 
smoke, momentarily growing greater and greater. Thus 
another five minutes wore away, and curiosity was not 
satisfied. Another few minutes, then the explosion ; and 
upon the horizon could be seen an enormous column of 
earth, dust, timbers, and projectiles lifted into the air at an 
altitude of at least eighty feet. Blackened and mangled 
forms of men, rocks, cannons, and trees rose toward the 
heavens, while the earth rocked as if rent with an earth- 
quake. The siege-guns along a line of twelve miles of 
works burst forth with the fiercest blasts of war. The scene 
at this time was one of the utmost sublimity. The roar of 



LIFE OF GRANT. 173 

artillery, rattle of small arms, the cheers of the men, flashes 
of light, wreaths of pale blue smoke over different parts of 
the field, the bursting of shells, the fierce -whistle of solid 
shot, the deep boom of the mortars, the broadsides of the 
ships of war, and, added to all this, the vigorous replies of 
the enemy, set up a din which beggars all description. 

"The troops rushed in at the gorge, which was large 
enough to hold two regiments. The rebel troops, with 
equal desperation, rushed forward to meet them ; and thus 
the struggle continued, not only until the sun went down, 
not only until the twilight disappeared, but far into the 
hours of night. Volley after volley was fired, though with 
less carnage than would be supposed. The Forty-fifth 
Illinois charged immediately up to the crest of the parapet, 
and here suffered its heaviest, losing many officers in the 
assault. 

"During the hottest of the action, General Leggett was 
in the fort in the midst of his troops, sharing their dangers 
and partaking of their glory. While here, a shell from 
one of the enemy's guns exploded in a timber lying on the 
parapet, distributing splinters in all directions, one of which 
struck the General on the breast, knocking him over. 
Though somewhat bruised and stunned, he soon recovered 
himself, and taking a chair, sat in one of the trenches near 
the fort, where he could be seen by his men." 

When the mine exploded, six men of the Forty-third 
Mississippi Regiment, who were in the rebel shaft counter- 
mining, were buried alive, and their bones rest to this day 
in the grave their own hands had digged. Two other rebels, 
who were standing in the fort, were tossed into the air, 
and came down within the Union lines, sustaining no further 
injury than being badly shocked and frightened. One had 
his knapsack on his back, and seemed mightily astonished 
to see where he had landed. 



174 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Grant seemed well satisfied with the day's operations, 
and in the evening wrote to Ord: 

"June 25, 1863. 
" General Ord : — McPherson occupies the crater made by 
the explosion. He will have guns in battery there by morn- 
ing. He has been hard at work running rifle-pits right, 
and thinks he will hold all gained. Keep Smith's Division 
sleeping under arms to-night, ready for an emergency. Their 
services may be required, particularly about daylight. There 
should be the greatest vigilance along the whole line. 

"U. S. Grant, 31a j or -General." 



In the meantime, the gunboat fleet off "Warrenton com- 
menced a bombardment of the enemy's forts. This was 
kept up without intermission until midnight, when it was 
slackened to desultory shots. The fuses of the shells as 
they ascended in the air were easily distinguishable, and 
looked in their course like shooting meteors. When they 
would strike, the shell would explode with a terrific report. 
Some of the shells exploded in the air, and the flashes 
which they emitted looked like an immense piece of pyro- 
techny. 

Pemberton's spirit was now broken, and he saw before 
him nothing but defeat and surrender; yet he resisted with 
a bravery worthy of a better cause. Johnston had written 
to him to say, "I am too weak to save Vicksburg; can do 
no more than attempt to save you and your garrison. It 
will be impossible to extricate you unless you cooperate." 

Flour was a thousand dollars a barrel in Vicksburg; 
beef two dollars and a half a pound; and molasses twelve 
dollars a gallon. The troops could not sleep at night for 
fear of being blown into the air before morning; and the 
citizens were burrowing into the earth, to escape the shells 



i 



LIFE OF GRANT. 175 

■which -were continually dropping in the streets or bursting 
in the houses. Pemberton had but seven days' full rations 
left, and plainly saw he must starve or surrender. The toils 
and cares of Grant were now overwhelming ; he slept but 
little, and partook sparingly of food. His great mind seemed 
to be constantly studying the rebel works, and for hours at 
a time he gazed upon the high forts before him. 

In the admirable "Military History of General Grant," 
by General Adam Badeau, we have the following extracts 
from dispatches sent by General Grant to his subordinate 
officers, which will give the reader some idea of the multi- 
plicity of cares which must have engrossed his mind: 

To Parke he wrote : " I want the work of intrenching 
your position pushed with all dispatch. Be ready to receive 
an attack, if one should be made ; and to leave the troops 
free to move out, should the enemy remain where he is." 

To Ord : "Get batteries as well advanced as possible, 
during the day and night." 

To Parke, directing him to join Sherman: "An attack is 
contemplated, evidently by way of Bear Creek, and that 
within two days. Move out four brigades of your command, 
to support your cavalry ; and obstruct their advance, as near 
Black River as possible, until all the forces to spare can be 
brought against them. Travel with as little baggage as pos- 
sible, and use your teams as an ordnance and supply train, 
to get out all you may want from the river." 

To Dennis : " An attack upon you is not at all impossible. 
You will therefore exercise unusual vigilance in your pre- 
parations to receive an attack. Keep your cavalry out as 
far as possible, to report any movement of the enemy ; and 
confer with Admiral Porter, that there may be unanimity in 
action." 

To Parke : " Certainly use the negroes, and every thing 
within your command, to the best advantage." 



176 LIFE OF GRANT. 

To Ilerron : "Be ready to move with your division at 
the shortest notice, with two days' cooked rations in their 
haversacks." 

To McPherson : " There is indication that the enemy will 
attack within forty-eight hours. Notify Mc Arthur to be 
ready to move at a moment's notice on Sherman's order. 
The greatest vigilance will be required on the line, as the 
Vicksburg garrison may take the same occasion for an 
attack also." 

By the 1st of July, Grant's works, at ten different points, 
were within a few hundred feet of the rebel defenses. The 
time for final assault had now come. It was understood in 
both armies that it would take place on the 4th of July. 
On the morning of the 3d, two rebel officers were seen ap- 
proaching the Union lines with a flag of truce, and bearing 
an official communication for General Grant. These officers, 
General Bowen and Colonel Montgomery, were halted at 
the picket-line, while the letter they bore was sent with all 
haste by a courier to General Grant's head-quarters. On 
opening it, the General found it was from Pemberton, and 
read as follows : 

"Head-quarters, Vicksburg, July 3, 1863. 

" Major- General Grant, commanding United States forces : 

" General : I have the honor to propose to you an 
armistice for — hours, with a view to arranging terms for 
the capitulation of Vicksburg. To this end, if agreeable to 
you, I will appoint three commissioners, to meet a like 
number to be named by yourself, at such place and hour 
as you may find convenient. I make this proposition to 
save the further effusion of blood, which must otherwise be 
shed to a frightful extent, feeling myself fully able to main- 
tain my position for a yet indefinite period. This commu- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 177 

nication will be handed you, under flag of truce, by Major- 
General James Bo wen. 

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"J. C. PEMBERTON." 

Great was the joy of Grant, for he saw in this brief epistle 
the end of all his toils and labors; yet those who looked in 
that calm, quiet face saw no indication of the great joy that 
was swelling his heart nigh to bursting. Turning to his 
desk, Grant wrote ■ 

"Head-quarters Department of Tennessee, 1 

"In the Field, near Vicksburg, July 3, 1863. } 
"Lieufenant-GeneralJ. C. Pemberton, commanding Confederate forces, etc.: 
" General : Your note of this date, just received, pro- 
poses an armistice of several hours, for the purpose of 
arranging terms of capitulation through commissioners to be 
appointed, etc. The effusion of blood you propose stopping 
by this course, can be ended at any time you may choose, 
by an unconditional surrender of the city and garrison. Men 
who have shown so much endurance and courage as those 
now in Vicksburg, will always challenge the respect of an 
adversary, and I can assure you will be treated with all the 
respect due them as prisoners of war. I do not favor the 
proposition of appointing commissioners to arrange terms 
of capitulation, because I have no other terms than those indi- 
cated above. I am, General, very respectfully, your obe- 
dient servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Major-General.^ 

Folding up the letter, he handed it to an officer, with 
the instructions that the rebel soldiers should bear it to 
their chief. General Bowen, who was anxious to put an 
end to the slaughter and suffering of the garrison, requested 
permission to speak with General Grant about the surren- 
12 



178 LIFE OF GRANT. 

der, but Grant declined to hold any converse with him on 
that subject. Blindfolded, the rebel officers were conducted 
from the Union camp, where they were set at liberty, and 
were speedily within their own camp and in the presence 
of their brave but disconsolate General. Before leaving 
Grant, the rebel officers had made a proposition that the 
two Generals should meet between the lines and personally 
arrange the terms of capitulation. To this Grant had 
promptly agreed, and said " If Pemberton wished to surren- 
der, he would see him that afternoon, at three o'clock, in 
front of McPherson's works." 

Pemberton immediately sent word to Grant to be at the 
front of McPherson's works at the time named, and he 
would meet him there. Keim thus describes the meeting 
between the two army commanders : 

" At three o'clock precisely, one gun, the prearranged 
signal, was fired, and immediately replied to by the enemy. 
General Pemberton then made his appearance on the works 
in McPherson's front, under a white flag, considerably on 
the left of what is known as Fort Hill. General Grant 
rode through our trenches until he come to an outlet, lead- 
ing to a small green space, which had not been trod by 
either army. Here he dismounted, and advanced to meet 
General Pemberton, with whom he shook hands, and greeted 
familiarly. 

" It was beneath the outspreading branches of a gigantic 
oak that the conference of the generals took place. Here 
presented the only space which had not been used for some 
purpose or other by the contending armies. The ground 
was covered with a fresli, luxuriant verdure ; here and there 
a shrub or clump of bushes could be seen standing out 
from the green growth on the surface, while several oaks 
filled up the scene, and gave it character. Some of the 
trees in their tops exhibited the effects of flying projectiles, 



LIFE OF GRANT. 179 

by the loss of limbs or torn foliage, and in their trunks the 
indentations of smaller missiles plainly marked the occur- 
rences to which they had been silent witnesses.' 7 

The party made up to take part in the conference was 
composed as follows : 

UNITED STATES OFFICERS. 
Major-General U. S. Grant. 
Major-General James B. McPherson. 
Brigadier-General A. J. Smith. 

REBEL OFFICERS. 

Lieutenant-General John C. Pemberton. 

Major-General Bo wen. 

Colonel Montgomery, A. A. G. to General Pemberton. 

"When Ge erals Grant and Pemberton met they shook 
hands, Color 1 Montgomery introducing the party. A short 
silence ensued, at the expiration of which General Pember- 
ton remarked: 

" General Grant, I meet you in order to arrange terms 
for the capitulation of the city of Vicksburg and its garrison. 
What terms do you demand?" 

" Unconditional surrender" replied General Grant. 

"Unconditional surrender?" said Pemberton. "Never, 
so long as I have a man left me ! I will fight rather." 

" Then, sir, you can continue the defense," coolly said 
General Grant. "My army has never been in a better condi- 
tion for the prosecution of the siege." 

During the passing of these few preliminaries, General 
Pemberton was greatly agitated, '■quaking from head to foot, 
while General Grant experienced all his natural self- 
possession, and evinced not the least sign of embarrassment. 

After a short conversation standing, by a kind of mutual 
tendency, the two Generals wandered off from the rest of 
the party and seated themselves on the grass, in a cluster 



180 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of bushes, where they talked over the important events then 
pending. General Grant could be seen, even at that dis- 
tance, talking coolly, occasionally giving a few puffs at his 
favorite companion — his black cigar. General McPherson, 
General A. J. Smith, General Bowen, and Colonel Mont- 
gomery, imitating the example of the commanding generals, 
seated themselves at some distance off, while the respective 
staffs of the generals formed another and larger group in 
the rear. 

After a lengthy conversation the generals separated. Gen- 
eral Pemberton did not come to any conclusion on the 
matter, but stated his intention to submit the matter to a 
council of general officers of his command ; and, in the event 
of their assent, the surrender of the city should be made in 
the morning. Until morning was given him to consider, to 
determine upon the matter, and send in his final reply. The 
generals now rode to their respective quarters. 

During this memorable interview, the characters of the two 
men were plainly indicated by their personal conduct. Pem- 
berton was restless, impulsive, and bitter, his stormy and 
irascible spirit at times breaking forth in angry words. Grant 
was calm, cool, and deliberative, puffing his cigar, and talking 
as casually as if Pemberton were an acquaintance he had 
chanced to meet on the road-side, and had only stopped to 
pass the time of day and compliments of the season. The 
great oak tree under which the two generals sat during this 
interview has long ago disappeared, (having been cut up 
into canes,) and on the spot stands a beautiful monument, 
with this inscription on its base : " To the memory of the 
surrender of Vicksburg, by Lieutenant-General J. 0. Pem- 
berton to Major-General U. S. Grant, U. S. A., on the 3d 
of July, 1863." 

General Grant, having conferred at his head-quarters with 
his corps and division commanders, sent the following letter 



LIFE OF GRANT. 181 

to General Pemberton, by the hands of General Logan and 
Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson: 

" Head-quarters Department of Tennessee, -» 
"Near Vicksburg, July 3, 1863. j 
u Lieutenant-General J. C. Pemberton, commanding Confederate forces , 

Vicksburg, Miss. : 

"General: In conformity with the agreement of this af- 
ternoon, I will submit the following proposition for the sur- 
render of the city of Vicksburg, public stores, etc. On your 
accepting the terms proposed, I will march in one division, 
as a guard, and take possession at eight o'clock to-morrow 
morning. As soon as paroles can be made out and signed 
by the officers and men, you will be allowed to march out 
of our lines, the officers taking with them their regimental 
clothing, and staff, field and cavalry officers one horse each. 
The rank and file will be allowed all their clothing, but no 
other property. 

"If these conditions are accepted, any amount of rations 
you may deem necessary can be taken from the stores you 
now have, and also the necessary cooking utensils for pre- 
paring them ; thirty wagons also, counting two two-horse 
or mule teams as one. You will be allowed to transport 
such articles as can not be carried along. The same con- 
ditions will be allowed to all sick and wounded officers and 
privates as fast as they become able to travel. The pa- 
roles for these latter must be signed, however, while officers 
are present, authorized to sign the roll of the prisoners. 
"I am, General, very respectfully, 

"Your obedient servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Major- General" 

This communication was sent by Grant late in the even- 
ing, but before daylight a rebel messenger brought him 
the following reply : 



182 LIFE OF GRANT. 

" Head-quarters, Vicksburg, July 3, 1863. 
"Major- General Grant, commanding United States forces : 

"General: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your communication of this date proposing terms for the 
surrender of this garrison and post. In the main, your 
terms are accepted ; but, in justice both to the honor and 
spirit of my troops, manifested in the defense of Vicksburg, 
I have the honor to submit the following amendments, which, 
if acceded to by you, will perfect the agreement between 
us. At ten o'clock to-morrow, I propose to evacuate the 
works in and around Vicksburg, and to surrender the city 
and garrison, under my command, by marching out with 
colors and arms and stacking them in front of my present 
limits, after which you will take possession ; officers to re- 
tain their side-arms and personal property, and the rights 
and property of citizens to be respected. 

"I am, General, yours, very respectfully, 

"J. C. Pemberton, Lieutenant- General? 

Grant, willing to gratify the vanity of his rebel foes, in 
not getting up a scene of surrender, at once replied : 

" Head-quarters Department of Tennessee, \ 
t; Before Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. ) 
"Lieutenant- General Pemberton, commanding forces in Vicksburg: 

"General: I have the honor to acknowledge your com- 
munication, of the 3d of July. The amendments proposed 
by you can not be acceded to in full. It will be necessary 
to furnish every officer and man with a parole signed by 
himself, which, with the completion of the rolls of prison- 
ers, will necessarily take some time. Again : I can make 
no stipulation with regard to the treatment of citizens and 
their private property. While I do not propose to cause any 
of them any undue annoyance or loss, I can not consent to 



LIFE OF GRANT. 183 

leave myself under restraint by stipulations. The property 
which officers can be allowed to take with them will be as 
stated in the proposition of last evening — that is, that offi- 
cers ivill be allowed their private baggage and side-arms, and 
mounted officers one horse each. If you mean, by your prop- 
osition, for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now 
occupied by it and stack their arms, at ten o'clock A. M., and 
then return to the inside and remain as prisoners until prop- 
erly paroled, I will make no objection to it. Should no mod- 
ifications be made of your acceptance of my terms by nine 
o'clock A. M., I shall regard them as having been rejected, 
and act accordingly. Should these terms be accepted, white 
flags will be displayed along your lines, to prevent such of 
my troops as may not have been notified from firing on your 
men. 

"I am, General, very respectfully, 

"Your obedient servant, 
"U. S. Grant, Major- General U. S. A." 

Pemberton hastily sent the following brief dispatch, and 
the preliminaries of one of the greatest surrenders the world 
ever witnessed was completed : 

" Head-quarters, Vicksburg, July 4, 18G3. 
"Major-General U. S. Grant, commanding United States forces, etc. : 

" General : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your communication of this date, and, in reply, to say 
that the terms proposed by you are accepted. 
"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"J. C. Pemberton, Lieutenant-General" 

According to agreement, the last of the rebel regiments, 
having marched out, stacked their arms, and returned within 
the fortifications. There was nothing now to do but for the 
Union forces to march in and take possession of the city, 



184 LIFE OF GRANT. 

men, and property. It is said that some of the old rebel 
veterans, as they gave up their arms and colors, shed tears 
of regret, and that Grant's men, who were looking on, were 
silent and respectful, having great admiration for the brav- 
ery with which these misguided men had defended their 
city. 

Keim thus describes the entrance of the Union troops 
into Vicksburg : 

"It was about one o'clock P. M., before matters had 
assumed such a stage of completion as would admit of the 
entrance of the city by our troops. A slight further de- 
tention was also occasioned awaiting the pioneer corps, 
thrown out in advance, to open a passage through the 
breastworks and across the ditches and rifle-pits of the 
enemy. After this was finished, no further obstructions 
presented themselves, and the column moved forward. The 
order of march was by a seniority of brigade commanders, 
with an exception in the case of the Forty-fifth Illinois In- 
fantry, Colonel J. A. Maltby, which was specially ordered to 
lead the column, in consequence of heroic conduct during the 
siege and operations in the campaign against Vicksburg" 

At the head of the troops rode General U. S. Grant, puff- 
ing the always-present black cigar, and then followed his 
numerous and brilliant staff. Next came — 

Major-General J. B. McPherson and staff. 

Major-General J. A. Logan and staff. 

Brigadier-General M. D. Leggett, First Brigade, Third 
Division, led by the Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry. 

Brigadier-General Z. E. G. Ransom, First Brigade, Sev- 
enth Division, temporarily assigned to Logan. 

Brigadier-General John Stevenson, Second Brigade, Third 
Division; and with each brigade its batteries, baggage-train, 
etc. 

The division of General John E. Smith, though part of 



LIFE OP GRANT. 185 

the Seventeenth Army Corps which was designated by Gen- 
eral Grant to occup}' the city, was held outside of the works, 
as a kind of outer line of guards, to prevent the escape of 
prisoners. 

After passing through several inner lines of the rifle-pits 
and breastworks, the column of occupation penetrated the 
suburbs of the city, and maivhed through its principal streets 
to the court-house. As might be expected, from the long 
schooling the city had received under the influence of the 
secession conspirators, no demonstrations of satisfaction at 
our arrival were made along the line of march ; but on the 
contrary, houses were closed, the citizens within doors, and 
the city was wrapped in gloom. It seems as if the pop- 
ulation anticipated their next step would be into the 
grave. 

Upon arriving at the court-house, the troops were drawn 
up in line, facing the building. This done, the ceremony of 
possession was completed by the display of the flags of the 
Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and of the head-quarters of 
the Seventeenth Corps, from the dome of the court-house. 

Upon the appearance of the flags, the troops cheered vo- 
ciferously, making the city ring to its very suburbs with 
shouts of the votaries of liberty. It was an occasion which 
few ever have the opportunity of witnessing, and one which 
will secure a life-long remembrance in the minds of all 
present. 

In consideration of the active part taken by the Seven- 
teenth Corps in the campaign which consummated in the 
capture of Vicksburg, that command was designated by 
General Grant to take possession of the city. General 
Logan's division occupied within the works, while General 
John E. Smith held the Union works without. General 
McArthur continued with General Sherman's army in its 
operations against Johnston. 



186 LIFE OF GRANT. 

In view of General Grant's plans, Major-General McPher- 
son was appointed to the command of the new district about 
to be formed, and having Vieksburg for its center. 

Major-General Logan commanded the city and its en- 
virons. 

The provost-marshal's department was placed in charge 
of Lieutenant-Colonel James Wilson, provost-marshal of 
the corps — provost-guard, Forty-fifth Illinois Infantry. 

The vessels in the river were soon in motion, and but an 
hour or two elapsed ere seventy steamers or barges lined 
the levee, and the city suddenly emerged from the death 
of rebellion to life and activity. 

Grant, making his way through the rebel soldiers, who 
gazed in silence and wonder at their conqueror, rode at 
once to the head- quarters of General Pemberton. There 
was no one to receive him. He dismounted, and entered 
the porch. General Pemberton sat there with his staff. 
These men then very conspicuously developed their novel 
ideas of "chivalry." Though each one wore his sword, 
through the generosity of General Grant, not one rose, in 
courteous greeting of the valiant and magnanimous soldier. 
Pemberton was especially sullen and discourteous. 

The day was hot, and the trampling of the armies had 
filled the air with clouds of dust. General Grant, heated 
and thirsty, asked for a glass of water. He was brusquely 
told that he could find it inside. He groped his way 
through the passages till he found a negro who gave him a 
cup of water. Returning, he found no seat, and remained 
standing in the presence of his vanquished foes, who were 
seated, during an interview of half an hour. 

It is said that this surrender was the most important 
recorded in the annals of war. At the capitulation of Ulra, 
hitherto considered without a parallel, thirty thousand pris- 
oners were surrendered, and sixty pieces of cannon. Thirty- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 187 

four thousand six hundred men surrendered at Vicksburg, 
with two hundred and eighteen cannon. 

The following table will give the reader a more definite 
idea of the value of the surrender of Vicksburg : Lieu- 
tenant-General J. C. Pemberton, Major-General Bowen, 
Major-General Martin L. Smith, Major-General Forney, 
Brigadier-Generals Barton, Cochran, Lee, Vaughn, Rey- 
nolds, Baldwin, Harris, Taylor, Cummings, Stevenson, Ileb- 
art, Wall, Moore, Schopf, Buford, and Cockrell. 

Total generals 20 

Field, staff', and line officers 4,600 

Non-commissioned officers and privates 30,000 

Total, -without regard to rank 34,620 

KILLED, WOUNDED, AND STRAGGLERS. 

Killed in battles and skirmishes 1,000 

AVounded in battles and skirmishes 4,000 

Captured in hospitals in Vicksburg and elsewhere 6,000 

Stragglers, including men cut off* and unable to rejoin their 
commands 800 

Total 11,800 

RECAPITULATION. 

Total prisoners 34,620 

Killed, wounded, and in hospital 11,000 

Straffirlers, etc 800 



----- 



Making a loss to the enemy, in sixty-five days, of. 46,420 

The following table also shows the losses of material sus- 
tained by the enemy during the same length of time : 

FIELD ARTILLERY. PIECES. 

Captured in battle 83 

At Vicksburg.. 128 

Total 211 



188 LIFE OF GRANT. 

SIEGE ARTILLERY. 

At Vicksburg 90 

CAPTURED SMALL ARMS. 

In battle 10,000 

At Vicksburjr 35,000 



Total 45,000 

RECAPITULATION. 

Artillery captured 301 

Muskets and rifles 45,000 

Besides this, a number of field-pieces and siege-guns 
were destroyed at Jackson, Haines' and Snyder's Bluffs, 
which are not included in the above estimate, and, also, 
immense quantities of powder, ball, shells, tools, machinery, 
and great numbers of wagons, wood-wheels, and castings. 

General Grant, in his official report, sums up the Union 
losses, during the series of battles of the Vicksburg cam- 
paign, as follows: 

KILLED. MOVNDKD. MISSING. TOTAL. 

Port Gibson 130 718 5 853 

Fourteen-Mile Creek (skirmish). 4 24 — 28 

Raymond 69 341 32 442 

Jackson 40 240 6 286 

Champion's Hill 426 ,,842 189 2,457 

Big Black Railroad Bridge 29 242 2 273 

Vfcksburg 245 3,688 302 4,236 



Grand total 943 7,095 537 8,575 

GENERAL RECAPITULATION. 

Rebel losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners 46,420 

Union losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners 8,575 



Balance in favor of Grant 37,845 

The President, who had long been importuned to relieve 
General Grant, at length agreed to do so, and had sent 



LIFE OF GRANT. 189 

out Adjutant-General Thomas with instructions to investi- 
gate certain charges made against Grant at the national 
capitol, and if he found them as alleged, to remove him at 
once. General Thomas, however, on reaching Milliken's 
Bend, with great good sense and judgment, kept the Presi- 
dent's order in his pocket, and sustained Grant fully in his 
report. 

Several gentlemen were near the President at the time 
he received the news of Grant's success, some of whom had 
been complaining of the rumors of his habit of using intoxi- 
cating drinks to excess. 

"So I understand Grant drinks whisky to excess?" in- 
terrogatively remarked the President. 

"Yes," was the reply. 

"What whisky does he drink?" inquired Mr. Lincoln. 

"What whisky?" doubtfully queried his hearers. 

"Yes. Is it Bourbon or Monongahela?" 

"Why do you ask, Mr. President?" 

"Because, if it makes him win victories like this at Vicks- 
burg, I will send a demijohn of the same kind to every gen- 
eral in the army." 

His visitors saw the point, although at their own cost. 

The good-hearted President, conscious he had uninten- 
tionally done Grant great injustice, then sat down and wrote 
him the following frank and manly letter : 

"Executive Mansion, Washington, July 13, 1863. 
"To Major- General Grant: 

"My Dear General : I do not remember that you and 
I ever met personally. I write this now as a grateful ac- 
knowledgment for the almost inestimable service you have 
done the country. I wish to say a word further. When 
you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I thought you 
should do what you finally did — march the troops across 
the neck, run the batteries with the transports, and thus go 



190 LIFE OF GRANT. 

below; and I never had any faith, except a general hope 
that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedi- 
tion, and the like, could succeed. When you got below 
and took Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, and vicinity, I thought 
vou should go down the river and join General Banks; 
and when you turned northward, east of the Big Black, I 
feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make a personal 
acknowledgment that you were right and I was wrong. 

" Yours, very truly, 

"A.LINCOLN." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 191 



CHAPTER XI. 

PREPARATIONS TO ATTACK JOHNSTON SURRENDER OF PORT IIUDSON — IN- 
VESTMENT OF JACKSON — JEFF. DAVIS* LIBRARY — JOHNSTON'S ADDRESS 

TO HIS ARMY RETREAT OF THE REBELS GRANT AND THE REBEL 

MAJOR — HIS TREATMENT OF SUBORDINATE OFFICERS FRIENDSHIP BE- 
TWEEN GRANT AND SHERMAN — MRS. GRANT VISITS HER HUSBAND 

ANECDOTE OF MRS. GRANT — GRANT AND HIS SOLDIERS ADMINISTRATIVE 

ABILITY OF GRANT HONORS TO GRANT AT MEMPHIS REVIEW AT NEW 

ORLEANS — TERRIBLE ACCIDENT TO GRANT HE IS APPOINTED TO A NEW 

COMMAND — VISITS LOUISVILLE — HIS NEW ARMY AND GENERALS BRAGG's 

FORCES THE CHATTANOOGA CAMPAIGN. 

No sooner had General Pemberton signified his intention 
of surrendering Vicksburg, than General Grant began pre- 
parations for new military movements. He wrote at once 
to Sherman : 

" There is little doubt but that the enemy will surrender 
to-night or in the morning. Make your calculations to attack 
Johnston, and destroy the road north of Jackson." 

lie also wrote to Steele and Ord : 

" I want Johnston broken up as effectually as possible. 
You can make your own arrangements, and have all the 
troops of my command, except one corps." 

In another letter, on the 4th of July, written to his gen- 
erals, Grant said : 

a Drive Johnston from the Mississippi Central Railroad. 
Destroy the bridges as far north as Grenada, with your cav- 
alry, and do the enemy all the harm possible. I will support 
you to the last man that can be spared." 



192 LIFE OF GRANT. 

One of the good results of the fall of Vicksbnrg was the 

immediate surrender of Port Hudson. The news was first 
communicated to the rebels by our troops, who shouted across 
the lines: u Yicksburg is taken, Johnny, and Grant is coming 
down the river." No sooner did the startling intelligence 
reach the rebel commander in his head-quarters, than he ad- 
dressed the following letter to General Banks, who com- 
manded the besieging forces: 

"Head-quarters Port Hudson, La., July 7, 18G3. 
u To Major- General Banks, commanding U. S. forces near Port Hudson: 

" General : Having received information from your troops 
that Vicksburg has been surrendered, I make this communi- 
cation to ask you to give me the official assurance whether 
this is true or not, and, if true, I ask for a cessation of hos- 
tilities, with a view to the consideration of terms for surren- 
dering this position. 

"I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"Frank Gardner, 

11 Major- General commanding Confederate States forces." 

General Banks, early the next morning, replied as fol- 
lows : 

" Head-quarters Department of the Gulf, | 
"Before Port Hudson, July 8, 1863. } 
11 To Major-General Frank Gardner, commanding Confederate States forces; 
Port Hudson : 
" General : In reply to your communication, dated the 
7th instant, by flag of truce received a few moments since, 
I have the honor tcf inform you that I received yesterday 
morning, July 7th, at forty-five minutes past ten o'clock, by 
the gunboat General Price, an official dispatch from Major- 
General Ulysses S. Grant, United States Army, whereof the 
following is a true extract : 






LIFE OF GRANT. 193 

* I regret to say that, under present circumstances, I can 
not, consistently with my duty, consent to a cessation of hos- 
tilities for the purpose you indicate. 

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"N. P. Banks, Major-General commanding. 

" ' Head-quarters Department of the Tennessee, i 

" 'Near Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. J 

" ' Major-General N. P. Banks, commanding Department of the Gulf : 

" ' General : The garrison of Vicksburg surrendered this 
morning. The number of prisoners, as given by the officers, 
is twenty-seven thousand ; field artillery, one hundred and 
twenty-eight pieces ; and a large number of siege-guns, 
probably not less than eighty. Your obedient servant, 
"'U. S. Grant, Major- General: " 

The rebel commandant immediately dispatched the follow- 
ing communication to General Banks : 

"Port Hudson, July 8, 1863. 
u To Major-General Banks, commanding United /States forces : 

" General : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your communication of this date, giving a copy of an 
official communication from Major-General U. S. Grant, 
United States Army, announcing the surrender of the garrison 
of Vicksburg. 

u Having defended this position as long as I deem my duty 
requires, I am willing to surrender to you, and will appoint a 
commission of three officers, to meet a similar commission 
appointed by yourself, at nine o'clock this morning, for the 
purpose of agreeing upon and drawing up the terms of sur- 
render, and for that purpose I ask a cessation of hostilities. 
Will you please designate a point outside of my breastworks, 
where the meeting shall be held for this purpose ? 
"I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"Frank Gardner, 

"Commanding Confederate Slates forces." 

13 



194 LIFE OF GRANT. 

General Banks replied at once in the following language : 

" Head-quarters United States forces, } 

"Before Port Hldsox, July 8, 1863. j 
"To Major- General Frank Gardner, commanding Confederate States forces, 
Port Hudson : 

" General : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 
of your communication of this date, stating that you are 
willing to surrender the garrison under your command to 
the forces under my command, and that you will appoint a 
commission of three officers, to meet a similar commission 
appointed by me, at nine o'clock this morning, for the pur- 
pose of agreeing upon and drawing up the terms of surren- 
der. 

" In reply, I have the honor to state that I have designated 
Brigadier-General Charles P. Stone, Colonel Henry W. Birge, 
and Lieutenant-Colonel Richard B. Irwin, as the officers to 
meet the commission appointed by you. 

" They will meet your officers, at the hour designated, at a 
point where the flag of truce was received this morning. I 
will direct that active hostilities shall entirely cease on my 
part, until further notice, for the purpose stated. 

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

"N. P. Banks, Major- General commanding." 

With the surrender of Port Hudson, there fell into the 
hands of the Union troops one major-general, one brigadier- 
general, twenty pieces of heavy artillery, five field batteries, 
numbering thirty-one pieces, five thousand stand of small 
arms, two steamers, and an immense quantity of powder, 
shells, and rifle-balls. 

The glad news from Vicksburg and Port Hudson coming 
at the same time the nation was rejoicing over the great 
victory won by the Union arms at Gettysburg, completely 
electrified the North, and the people were filled with great joy. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 195 

Meantime, General Grant was marching against John- 
ston at Jackson. On the 12th of July, General Sherman 
had invested the city, from Pearl River, on the north, to the 
same stream, on the south side. Pearl River runs through 
the city, and Sherman, by his investment, had cut the rail- 
road, and shut off hundreds of cars from the Confederacy. 

The rebel President's library, one of the largest in the 
United States, was also captured. Among other valuable 
documents found in this library, were many letters on the 
subject of secession. Some of these letters dated back as 
far as 1852. Many of the more prominent writers accepted 
the separation of the North and South as a foregone con- 
clusion, but only disagreed how and when it should be done. 
Davis is alluded to as the political Moses in this measure, 
and the allusions to him would seem as if he were looked 
upon in the light of a demi-god. 

Johnston, finding Sherman was about to attack him, 
issued the following blatant proclamation to his troops: 

"Fellow-Soldiers: An insolent foe , flushed with hope 
by his recent success at Vicksburg, confronts you, threatening 
the people, whose homes and liberty you are here to pro- 
tect, with plunder and conquest. Their guns may even 
now be heard as they advance. 

" The enemy it is at once the duty and the mission of you, 
brave men, to chastise and expel from the soil of Mississip>pi. 
The commanding general confidently relies on you to sustain 
his pledge, which he makes in advance, and he will be with 
you in the good work, even unto the end. 

"The vice of 'straggling' he begs you to shun and to 
frown on. If needs be, it will be checked by even the 
most summary remedies. 

"The telegraph has already announced a glorious victory 
over the foe, won by your noble comrades of the Virginia 



19(3 LIFE OF GRANT. 

army on Federal soil ; may he not, with redoubled hopes, 
count on you, while defending your firesides and household 
gods, to emulate the proud example of your brothers in the 
East? 

"The country expects in this, the great crisis of its des- 
tiny, that every man will do his duty. 

"Joseph E. Johnston, Gen. Com'ding" 

Having said this much, the boasting rebel General de- 
camped, retreating in the direction of Meridian, Sherman 
closely following "fighting Joe Johnston" and his army. 
The army of Johnston, according to the testimony of rebel 
prisoners, was numerically as strong as ours. It was 
composed of a portion of Pemberton's old army, and re- 
enforcements from Bragg's army, and detachments from 
Mobile and Charleston, S. C. In it were the divisions of 
Generals Breckinridge, Loring, Walker, and Gist, besides 
thousands of home-guards from the interior of Mississippi 
and Alabama. General Gist brought ten regiments with 
him from South Carolina, many of them of the " best blood," 
as a prisoner stated, of the Palmetto State, whose motto 
was, " No surrender." What a sorry failure they made of it. 

From May 1st up to the capture of Jackson, General 
Grant's army had been unremittingly at work. They had 
fought, ivithin that time, seven hotly -contested battles, at the 
cost of many a gallant life, but with twofold victory to our 
arms. The trophies of these battles, in arms and prisoners, 
were counted by thousands ; but the crowning event of the 
campaign was the opening of the Mississippi River. The 
rebel army of the West had been scattered to the winds, 
and those not killed or captured were fleeing with fright 
from before our army of veterans. 

Grant was now at Vicksburg, actively engaged in organ- 
izing negro regiments and setting his department in order. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 107 

Finding that Yazoo City was being fortified, he sent General 
Herron there with his division. He captured several hun- 
dred prisoners and one steamboat. Five pieces of heavy 
artillery and all the public stores fell into our hands. The 
enemy burned three steamboats on the approach of the 
gunboats. The De Kalb was blown up and sunk in fifteen 
feet of water by the explosion of a torpedo. Finding that 
the enemy were crossing cattle for the rebel army at 
Natchez, and were said to have several thousand there, he 
sent steamboats and troops to collect them and destroy all 
boats and means for making more. 

Among the incidents of General Grant's occupation of 
Vicksburg is the following: "A major in the rebel army 
had formerly served in the same regiment of the United 
States army with Grant, but was then his prisoner. Grant 
treated him kindly, invited him to his private apartment, 
and after he left, gave a sketch of the rebel's former life to 
the members of his staff. He said, that when the rebel 
major was in his room and he was talking to him about 
being in the Confederate service, the latter replied, " Grant, 
I tell you, I ain't much of a rebel, after all, and when I am 
paroled, I will let the d — d service go to the mischief." 

One of Grant's first acts after a great victory was always 
to acknowledge the services of his troops, and the aid he 
had received from subordinate officers. He never said 
anything about himself, but was loud in the praises of others. 
Thus he wrote the department, after the fall of Vicksburg, 
asking that Sherman and McPherson should be made briga- 
dier-generals in the regular army. "The first reason for 
this," he said, "is their great fitness for any command that it 
may ever become necessary to intrust to them. Second, their 
great purity of character, and disinterestedness in any thing 
except the faithful performance of their duty, and the success 
of every one engaged in the great battle for the preservation 



198 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of the Union, Third, they have honorably won this distinc- 
tion upon many well-fought battle-fields. The promotion of 
such men as Sherman and McPherson always adds strength 
to our army." 

The warm personal friendship existing between Sherman 
and Grant during the latter part of the war became a matter 
of national notoriety. Few persons knew, however, that from 
their earliest acquaintance, these two great commanders ap- 
preciated and liked each other. The following personal 
letter, written by Grant to Sherman at the time when Sher- 
man was marching against Johnston, will, in this connection, 
be read with interest : 

" I hope you will be in time to aid in giving the rebels the 
worst, or best, thrashing they have had in this war. I have 
constantly had the feeling that I shall lose you from this 
command entirely. Of course, I do not object to seeing 
your sphere of usefulness enlarged; and I think it should 
have been enlarged long ago, having an eye to the public 
good alone. But it needs no assurance from me, General, 
that, taking a more selfish view, while I would heartily ap- 
prove such a change, I would deeply regret it on my own 
account. "U. S. GRANT." 

In this letter, Grant seems to have foreseen the future 
career of his brilliant fellow-soldier, and while he wished him 
joy and success, he could not but regret to lose, in his com- 
mand, the services of so valuable an officer. 

Grant has ever displayed greatness of soul that never 
yet went with littleness of mind. Who has said as much as 
he in praise of Sheridan, Sherman, McPherson, Thomas, 
Meade? Remember how he lay with his gallant army 
before Petersburg, in the fall of 1864, when popular impa- 
tience in vain goaded him to attack, when the press and 
the people began to demand his dismissal, and to stigmatize 



LIFE OF GRANT. 199 

him as "the butcher;" how, then, when Sheridan won his 
great victories in the Valley, and every cap went up for 
" Little Phil," Grant capped the whole by telegraphing that 
he regarded him as among the first of living generals ; how, 
then, when Hood invaded Tennessee, the lieutenant-general 
gave Thomas all the men he could, and all the means, and 
contributed in every way to the splendid success at Nash- 
ville, yet scrupulously refrained from doing any thing to take 
the glory from Thomas, as he might have done by simply 
going on in person; how, then, when Sherman had gone 

"From the center all round to the sea," 

Grant gave him a brother's welcome, tenderly covered his 
sad mistake at diplomacy, and presented him to the nation 
as the great strategist of the war. 

As a mark of their affection, and an appreciation of his 
services at Vicksburg, General Grant's brother officers pre- 
sented him with a magnificent sword. The scabbard was of 
solid silver, appropriately and most beautifully finished. 
The handle of the sword represented a carved figure of a 
young giant, crushing the rebellion, and was most elaborately 
designed. The box in which it was placed was made of 
rosewood, bound with ivory, and lined with velvet and white 
satin. On the interior of the lid the name of General Grant 
was marked with crimson silk. The whole, in design, 
execution, and intrinsic value, displayed great taste on the 
part of those selected to carry out the presentation. 

President Lincoln also honored the victor by appointing 
him to the vacant major-generalship in the regular army of 
the United States, with a commission dating from the occu- 
pation of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863. 

General Grant's wife, who had been an anxious watcher 
of his military movements and success, now, that victory 
and peace were secured in his department, left her home 



200 LIFE OF GKANT. 

for a time to visit her husband, at tne noted place which 
had caused him so much labor and anxiety to gain the 
possession of, and the reduction of which had made his 
name forever famous in history. While at St. Louis, she 
was, in honor of her husband, serenaded by a fine band, 
attended by an immense throng of civilians. After the 
music had ceased, three rousing cheers were given by the 
crowd for General Grant, and three more for Mrs. Grant, 
when that lady appeared at the window, with Brigadier-Gen- 
eral Strong standing by her side, and on repeated calls for 
a speech, the General, in behalf of Mrs. Grant, responded: 

" Gentlemen : I am requested by Mrs. Grant to express 
her acknowledgment for the honor you have done her on 
this occasion. I know well that, in tendering her thanks, 
I express your sentiments, when I say the compliment 
through her to her noble husband is one merited by a brave 
and great man, who has made his name forever honored and 
immortal, in the history of America's illustrious patriots, 
living or dead. Mrs. Grant does not desire, in the testimony 
you have offered, that you should forget the brave and gallant 
officers and soldiers, who have so largely assisted in bringing 
about the glorious residt, which has recently caused the big 
heart of our nation to leap with joy. She asks you also to 
stop and drop a tear over the graves of the noble dead who 
have fallen in the struggle, that you and I, and all of us, 
might enjoy the fruits of their patriotic devotion to a coun- 
try second to none on the earth. We trust that the Missis- 
sippi forever will be under the control of our glorious 
country. Mrs. Grant is now on the way to join her husband, 
who, since the commencement of the war, has not asked for 
one day's absence. He has not found time to be sick. With 
these remarks she bids you good-night, and begs that you 
accept her thousand thanks." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 201 

An amusing anecdote is told of Mrs. Grant about this 
time. One day, while riding in the cars, a young officer, in 
all the glory of a span new second lieutenant's uniform, 
entered the train, and seeing no other place vacant, seated 
himself by the side of Mrs. Grant. He at once began talk- 
ing about the war, and presently said : 

"Madam, this war is a sad calamity, indeed, and I hope 
we may all live through it." 

"I hope so," replied the lady. 

"As you perceive, madam, I am an officer, and going to 
the front. Pray, have you any friends in the army ?" 

"Yes," replied the lady, "my husband is a soldier." 

"Indeed, madam," said the lieutenant. "I hope then to 
meet him. Perhaps, being an officer, I may be able to do 
him a service, as I shall likely have some influence with my 
brother officers, and, indeed, with the affairs of the army, 
for I am well connected. What is your husband's name?" 

"Thank you," replied the lady, "but I doubt if you can 
be of much help to my husband," and then she modestly 
added, "his name is Ulysses Grant." 

At the mention of that name, then ringing throughout the 
land, the young soldier sprang up, and hastily excusing 
himself, retired to another part of the car. The good 
woman did not intend, however, to drive the lieutenant away, 
and the youthful soldier may readily be pardoned for his 
vanity, when one recollects the exhilarating effects of a 
first commission in the army, and a blue and gold uniform. 

General Grant, who had been a most rigid disciplinarian 
as long as the danger lasted, now, that the enemy was 
beaten and his department safe, became a most liberal and 
patronizing commander. All his sick soldiers, who could 
stand the journey, were sent home to their friends on 
furlough, and five per cent, of the whole army was fiir- 
loughed for thirty days. The men, by order of Grant, 



202 LITE OF GRANT. 

were paid before they started, so as, the boys said, "to 
have money for a good time up North, and to drink the 
General's health with occasionally." In their anxiety to 
get home, the soldiers would submit to any imposition 
rather than be detained, and the steamboat men knowing 
they had plenty of money, charged enormous fares. One 
day it came to the ears of the General that a boat, then in 
port, was charging as much as twenty-five dollars to carry 
soldiers from Vicksburg to Cairo. Putting on his hat, the 
General said: "I will let these fellows know that the men 
who have periled their lives to open the Mississippi River 
for their benefit, can not be imposed upon with impunity." 
Going on the boat, he ordered the captain to pay back the 
men their money, and then told him he could carry the 
soldiers to Cairo, or go to prison and have his boat confis- 
cated. The steamboat man, anxious to escape from the 
presence of the terrible general, steamed out of port, while 
the soldiers crowded upon the decks and cheered again and 
again for their general, who stood upon the shore watching 
their departure and puffing his black cigar. 

Can it be wondered at, with such evidence of their Gen- 
eral's care, the soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee 
should fairly worship him ? 

The severity of General Grant's orders may be inferred 
from the following extract : 

" Conduct disgraceful to the American name has been fre- 
quently reported to the Major-General commanding, partic- 
ularly on the part of portions of the cavalry. Hereafter, 
if the guilty jiarties can not be reached, the commanders of 
regiments and detachments will be held respoyisible, and those 
who prove themselves unequal to the task of preserving dis- 
cipline in their commands will be promptly reported to the 
War Department for "muster out." Summary 2>unishmcnt 



LIFE OF GRANT. 203 

must be inflicted upon all officers and soldiers apprehended 
in acts of violence or lawlessness. 

"By order of Major-General U. S. Grant. 

"T. S. Bowers, Acting A. A. G." 

If General Grant was kind to his soldiers, and willing to 
defend them against all persons who would do them injus- 
tice, he was equally determined they should not do wrong 
to others. His army was always in a fine state of disci- 
pline, and his orders promptly obeyed, because his soldiers 
knew the General was watching them and would know how 
they behaved, and whether they were good soldiers or not. 

Much has been said about the administrative ability of 
General Grant, and a good many people have feared that, 
able a soldier as he has been, he might not make a good 
administrator of the laws. It is probably not generally 
known that the first paper defining and fixing the status 
of the black people, after they were set free by the proc- 
lamation, was written by General Grant. So just, so clear 
and comprehensive were the provisions of this document, 
that the Government adopted its doctrines as the right pol- 
icy to be pursued toward the negroes, and it has never been 
changed. From General Grant's order also grew the Freed- 
men's Bureau, and an examination of the order will show 
that every provision and power of the bureau to-day is con- 
tained in that order, so clearlv did the illustrious general, 
at the very beginning, comprehend the wants and necessi- 
ties of the black people. The following brief extracts are 
made from the order referred to above : 

"At all military posts in States within this department 
where slavery lias been abolished by the proclamation of 
the President of the United States, camps will be established 
for such freed people of color as are out of employment. 

"Commanders of posts or districts will detail suitable 



204 LIFE OF GRANT. 

officers from the army as superintendents of such camps. 
It will be the duty of such superintendents to see that suit- 
able rations are drawn from the Subsistence Department for 
such people as are confided to their care. 

" All sucJi persons supported by the Government will be em- 
ployed in every practicable way, so as to avoid, as far as pos- 
sible, their becoming a burden upon the Government. They 
may be hired to planters or other citizens, on proper assur- 
ance that the negroes so hired will not be run off beyond 
the military jurisdiction of the United States ; they may be 
employed on any public works, in gathering crops from 
abandoned plantations, and generally in any manner local 
commanders may deem for the best interests of the Govern- 
ment, in compliance with law and the policy of the admin- 
istration. 

"It will be the duty of the provost-marshal at evey mil- 
itary post to see that every negro within the jurisdiction 
of the military authority is employed by some white person, 
or is sent to the camps provided for freed people. 

" Citizens may make contracts with freed persons of color 
for their labor, giving wages per month in money, or employ 
families of them by the year upon plantations, etc., feeding, 
clothing, and supporting the infirm as well as able-bodied, and 
giving a portion, not less than one-twentieth of the commercial 
part of their crops, in payment for such services. 

"•Where negroes are employed under this authority, the par- 
ties employing ivill register with the provost-marshal their 
names, occupation, and residence, and the number of negroes 
so employed. They will enter into such bonds as the provost- 
marshal, with the approval of the local commander, may re- 
quire, for the kind treatment and proper care of those employed, 
and as security against their being carried beyond the employe's 
jurisdiction. 

"Nothing of this order is to be construed to embarrass 



LIFE OF GRANT. 205 

the employment of such colored persons as may be required 
by the Government. 

"Major-General U. S. Grant." 

In August, 1863, General Grant, having occasion to visit 
Memphis, he -was received with great honor. An address 
was presented him by the loyal citizens, and a public dinner 
tendered him. 

The dinner was a grand affair, and is thus described by 
one who was present : 

"At precisely nine o'clock, the band struck up one of the 
national airs, the doors of the reception room flew open, and 
General Geant made his appearance. There was a great 
rush, on the part of the enthusiastic and impatient to grasp 
the hero by the hand. An hour at least, though it seemed 
less, was thus consumed in hand-shaking and congrat- 
ulations. After the lapse of this time, the band again 
sent forth its melody in the shape of a march. The whole 
assemblage then formed in two ranks, headed by General 
Grant. This being done, the entire party marched into the 
dining-room, made the complete round of the tables, exam- 
ining the preparations, and then seated themselves. As 
would be expected, no sooner had each individual fastened 
himself to his seat than commenced a grand, simultaneous, 
and destructive assault upon the various dishes before him. 
Under the withering gastronomic abilities of the assemblage 
the victory was complete, and wound up by the total wreck 
and dissipation of the scene which, but a few moments be- 
fore, shone refulgent in all its beauty. There suddenly ap- 
peared a masked battery of champagne on our rear, which 
opened upon the guests a vigorous champagne cannonade. 
Soon the engagement became general, and, like all general 
engagements, every body did pretty much as he pleased, so 
that he kept in the ranks and did not shirk, or leave the field. 



206 LIFE OF GRANT. 

" Next followed the regular toasts of the evening. 

"The assemblage being called to order, the chairman arost 
and stated the fact. 

"The toasts were then read. 

" ' The United States of America — They have one consti- 
tution and government : may they have one grand destiny 
while human institutions endure.' Responded to by Hon. 
Charles Kortrecht. 

" l The Army and Navy — Their deeds and heroism in this 
war will be the noble theme of poet and historian in all 
future time.' Responded to by Adjutant-General Lorenzo 
Thomas. 

" ' General Grant — the guest of the city.' 

" This was the signal for the wildest applause, and it was 
some minutes before order could be restored. It was ex- 
pected that General Grant would be brought to his feet by 
this ; but the company were disappointed upon perceiving 
that, instead, his place was taken by his staff surgeon, Dr. 
Hewitt, who remarked : 

" ' I am instructed by General Grant to say that, as he 
has never been given to public speaking, you will have to 
excuse him on this occasion, and, as I am the only member 
of his staff present, I therefore feel it my duty to thank 
you for this manifestation of your good- will, as also the 
numerous other kindnesses of which he has been the recip- 
ient ever since his arrival among you. General Grant be- 
lieves that, in all he has done, he has no more than accom- 
plished a duty, and one, too, for which no 'particxdar honor 
is due. But the world, as you do, will accord otherwise.' 

" The doctor then proposed, at General Grant's request — 

" ' The officers of the different staffs and non-commissioned 
officers and privates of the Army of the Tennessee.' 

" ' The Federal Union — It must and will be preserved ! ' 
Responded to by Major-General L. A. Hurlbut. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 207 

" * The Old Flag ! — May its extinguished stars, rekindled 
by the sacred flame of human liberty, continue to shine for- 
ever, undiminished in number, and undimmed in splendor.' 
Responded to by General Veatch. 

" ' General Grant — Your Grant and my Grant. Having 
granted us victories, grant us the restoration of the " Old 
Flag;" grant us supplies, so that we may grant to our 
friends the grant to us.' 

" 'Abraham Lincoln — He must be sustained.' Colonel J. 
W. Fuller. 

"The Star-spangled Banner was here sung, the whole 
party joining in the chorus. 

" ' The Loyal Men of Tennessee — Their devotion to the 
Union, the cause of republican government, and constitu- 
tional liberty, is like gold tried seven times by fire.' Mr. 
J. M. Tomeny." 

A poem was then read, combining the name of Grant 
with De Soto, who discovered the Mississippi River, and 
Fulton, who made it alive with steamers. The poem closes 
with the following verses : 

" Then spoke an enemy — and on his banks 
Armed men appeared, and cannon-shot proclaimed 
The Mississippi closed — that mighty stream ! 
Found by De Soto, and by Fulton won ! 
One thought to chain him — ignominious thought! 
But then the grand old monarch shook his locks 
And burst his fetters, like a Samson freed ! 
The heights were crowned with ramparts, sheltering those 
Whose treason knew no bounds ; the frowning forts 
Belched lightnings, and the morning gun 
A thousand miles told mournfully the tale — 
The Mississippi closed. 

"Not long; from the Lord God of Hosts was sent 
A leader, who with patient vigil planned 
A great deliverance : height by height was gained, 



208 LIFE OF SRANT. 

Island and hill, and woody bank and cliff. 
Month followed month, till on our natal day 
The last great barrier fell — and never more 
The sire of waters shall obstruction know ! 
Now with De Soto's name and Fulton s 1 see 
The greater name of Grant! 
Our children s children, noble Grant, shall sing 
That great deliverance ! On the floods of spring 
Thy name shall sparkle ; smiling commerce tell 
Thy great achievement which restores the chain, 
Never again to break, which makes us one." 

Iii order that the people of Memphis might fully under- 
stand his sentiments and feelings, General Grant sent them 
the following excellent letter of thanks : 

"In accepting your attentions, which I do at great sacri- 
fice to my personal feelings, I simply desire to pay a tribute 
to the first public exhibition in Memphis of loyalty to the 
Government which I represent in the Department of the 
Tennessee. I should dislike to refuse, for considerations of 
personal convenience, to acknowledge, anywhere or in any 
form, the existence of sentiments which I have so long and 
so ardently desired to see manifested in this department. 
The stability of this Government, and the unity of this nation, 
depend solely on the cordial support and the earnest loyalty 
of the people. While, therefore, I thank you sincerely for 
the kind expressions you have used toward myself, I am 
profoundly gratified at this public recognition, in the city of 
Memphis, of the power and authority of the Government of 
the United States." 

Proceeding down the river, and stopping to inspect his 
posts, Grant, in due time, arrived at New Orleans, where a 
review had been arranged for him on the 4th of September. 

General Banks, accompanied by a numerous staff, was at 



LIFE OF GRANT. 209 

the St. Charles Hotel as early as eight o'clock, and, at nine 
o'clock, both generals left for Carrolton, where the review 
took place. The street was crowded to witness the depar- 
ture of these officers, all present being desirous of seeing 
General Grant. He was in undress uniform, loithout sword, 
sash, or belt; coat unbuttoned, a loiv-crowned black felt hat, 
without any mark upon it of military rank; a pair of kid 
gloves, and a cigar in his mouth. It must be known, how- 
ever, that he is never without the latter, except when 
asleep. 

Mounted on a magnificent charger, placed at his disposal 
by General Banks, Grant dashed at full gallop along the 
lines, and was with difficulty followed by his brilliant cor- 
tege. At length he drew up under a fine old oak for the 
troops to march by in review. He lifted his hat with a 
more formal courtesy, and bowed his head lower as the shot- 
pierced colors of his old regiments passed by, and when the 
soiled and torn standard of the old Thirteenth Corps came 
up, Grant's eye brightened with a tear as memory rushed 
back to the days of Belmont, Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, 
and Shiloh. 

But a sad accident happened to Grant as he was return- 
ing home from the review. The shrill scream of a railroad 
whistle frightened his horse, and the terror-stricken animal 
dashed madly off, crushing a carriage that was in its way, 
and throwing Grant upon the street. Grant's injuries were 
of such a serious nature, that it was feared he would never 
be able to take the field again. He was carried from Car- 
rolton on a litter to the steamer " Franklin," which took 
him up the river; his breast-bone was said to have been 
crushed, three ribs broken, and one side paralyzed ; and his 
brain was thought to be affected from the concussion of the 
fall from his horse. Fortunately for the country, by the aid 
of a good surgeon, he was enabled, after over a month's 
14 



210 LIFE OF GRANT. 

illness, to take the position destined for him, as Chief 
Commander in the West. 

As soon as he was able to travel, Grant moved on up the 
Mississippi, stopping to rest and visit the military posts 
along the bank. When he arrived at Indianapolis, he found 
that a telegram was there awaiting him at the depot, re- 
questing him to delay his further journey until the arrival 
of that official. It was not long before they met, and, as 
soon as the Secretary of War and General Grant had passed 
the usual compliments between gentlemen on their first 
personal acquaintance, the former handed the latter the 
following order : 

"War Department, Adjutant-General's Office,! 
"Washington, October 16, 1863. j 
11 [General Orders, No. 337.] 

"By direction of the President of the United States, the 
Departments of the Ohio, of the Cumberland, and of the 
Tennessee, will constitute the Military Division of the 
Mississippi. Major-General U. S. Grant, United States 
army, is placed in command of the Military Division of the 
Mississippi, with his head-quarters in the field. 

"Major-General W. S. Rosecrans, U. S. Vols., is relieved 
from the command of the Department and Army of the 
Cumberland. Major-General G. II. Thomas is hereby 
assigned to that command. 

" By order of the Secretary of War. 

"E. D. Townsend, A. A. G." 

The party then proceeded, with their special attendants, 
to Louisville, where their arrival created intense excite- 
ment. They found a wondering crowd gathered in the hall 
of the Gait House to catch a glimpse of the hero of Yicks- 
burg. Numerous were the exclamations of wonder as 
General Grant made his appearance. There seemed to 



LIFE OF GRANT. 211 

have been an impression that the General was above the 
ordinary stature of men. 

"I thought he was a large man," said a native. "He 
would be considered a small chance of a fighter if he lived 
in Kentucky. " 

The medium-sized frame of the General formed a strange 
contrast to the huge figures of the Kentuckians who 
swarmed to behold him. 

In the afternoon, General Grant rode out and visited the 
principal places of interest about the city, and that same 
night issued an order accepting and assuming charge of his 
new command, which was the largest that had ever been 
intrusted to a subordinate in this or any other country. 
He had under his direction four of the largest armies in 
the field. His own army, with which he won the victories 
in and around Vicksburg and throughout Mississippi ; the 
"Army of the Cumberland;" the "Army of the Ohio," and 
General Hooker's grand division. Under him were a 
perfect galaxy of marshals. His army commanders were 
Generals Sherman, Thomas, Burnside, and Hooker. (Gen- 
eral Foster's column was afterward added.) His corps 
commanders were as follows : 

The Fourth Army Corps, General Granger; the Emth 
Army Corps, General Potter ; the Eleventh Army Corps, 
General Howard; the Twelfth Army Corps, General 
Slocum ; the Fourteenth Army Corps, General Palmer ; 
the Fifteenth Army Corps, General J. A. Logan ; the 
Sixteenth Army Corps, General Hurlbut; the Seventeenth 
Army Corps, General McPherson ; and the Twenty-third 
Army Corps, General Manson. 

His division and brigade leaders were not inferior, while 
the regiments were of the best fighting material in the 
world. 

The country embraced within the limits of this new 



212 LIFE OF GRANT. 

command included the States of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, 
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Northern Alabama, 
and North-western Georgia. One glance at the map will 
therefore show what comprised General Grant's Military 
Division of the Mississippi. 

To meet this grand combination, Bragg had his own 
army, Longstreet's and Hill's Corps, Pemberton's army, 
which was reported exchanged, Johnston with thirty 
thousand men, S. D. Lee's division of five thousand men, 
and two small brigades in Mississippi. Perhaps never 
before were such masses of men scattered over such a vast 
area, under the command of men other than generals-in- 
chief. 

Grant never rested a moment when there was w T ork to be 
done. Although still suffering intensely from his wounds, 
he had received notice of his assignment to a new com- 
mand one day, had accepted it the next, was at Nashville 
the day following, and arrived at Chattanooga on the 23d 
of October, where he immediately began his short but 
brilliant Chattanooga campaign. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 218 



CHAPTER XII. 

CHATTANOOGA THE UNION ARMY THE REBEL ARMY BRAGG'S BLUNDER 

WHAT JEFF DAVIS SAID HOOKER'S BATTLE ON THE 28TH OF OCTOBER 

BURNSIDE SHUT UP IN KNOXVILLE — HOOKER'S BATTLE ABOVE THE 

CLOUDS — FULL ACCOUNT OF SHERMANS ADVANCE — THRILLING BATTLE 
SCENES GENERAL GRANT IN BATTLE DEFEAT OF BRAGG — GRANT'S PUR- 
SUIT — FIGHT AT RINGGOLD HEROIC CONDUCT OF GRANT WHAT HIS 

STAFF OFFICERS SAY OF HIM SHERMAN REACHES KNOXVILLE DEFEAT 

AND RETREAT OF LONG STREET — END OF THE CHATTANOOGA CAMPAIGN 

CONGRATULATIONS AND REJOICING. 

Grant found the Union army at Chattanooga in a strong 
position, with its flanks resting on the Tennessee river. 
The enemy was drawn up on Mission Ridge, across Chat- 
tanooga Valley, and on Lookout Mountain. The long lines 
of communications over which the supplies for the Union 
forces had to be brought were infested with bands of guer- 
rillas, who so annoyed and delayed the trains that the 
army was often on the point of starvation. 

Having improved his means of supplies as best he could, 
Grant, with restless activity, began preparations for battle. 

He sent General W. F. Smith, with four thousand men, 
to Brown's Ferry, six miles below, to cross the river and seize 
the steep hills at the mouth of Lookout Valley. On the night 
of the 27th of October, General Hazen,a dashing young sol- 
dier, with a body of picked men, quietly dropped down the 
stream in boats, landed unobserved, seized the rebel pickets, 
and occupied the spurs of the mountain near the river. 
Hooker was now marching up from Nashville, by way of 



• 



214 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Bridgeport, and on the 28th, brought his forces into Look- 
out Valley, at Wauhatchie. Sherman was also on the march 
to Chattanooga, coming from Corinth, by way of Florence, 
and driving the enemy before him. 

Bragg, maddened by the clamor of rebel citizens, and 
goaded on by an unfriendly rebel press, committed the fatal 
blunder of detaching a large body of his troops, under 
Longstreet, and sending them to attack Burnside at Knox- 
ville. When Grant heard of what Bragg had done, he 
gravely said, "I approve of his action," and at once tele- 
graphed to Sherman: "Drop everything east of Bear Creek 
and hurry up with your whole force." On the 23d of No- 
vember, the head of Sherman's column arrived at Brown's 
Ferry, Hooker was well up, and Thomas threatening the 
enemy beyond Orchard Knob. Affairs looked decidedly 
interesting, and a great battle seemed impending. Davis 
had been telegraphed to, and about this time the rebel Pres- 
ident paid a visit to Bragg's army, to ascertain the true 
condition of affairs, and it is reported that the following 
scene occurred on the summit of Lookout Mountain : 

Looking down one bright day from the lofty eminence 
commanding a clear view into four States, and a very dis- 
tant view into a fifth, Davis saw Grant's army almost be- 
neath his feet, across the valley, working like beavers on 
their fortifications. 

"I have them now," said he, " in just the trap I set for 
them." 

To which Lieutenant-General Pemberton, who was sitting 
on horseback beside him, replied, "Mr. Davis, you are 
commander-in-chief, and you are here. You think the 
enemy are in a trap, and can be captured by a vigorous 
assault. I have been blamed for not ordering a general 
attack on the enemy when they were drawing around me 
their lines of circumvallation at Vicksburg. Do you now 



LIFE OP GRANT. 215 

order an attack upon those troops down there below us, 
and I will set you my life that not one G — d d — d man of 
the attacking column -will ever come back across that valley 
except as a prisoner." 

Hooker had pushed well up Lookout Valley, and his 
troops now covered the two excellent parallel roads leading 
from Bridgeport to Brown's and Kelly's Ferries. The diffi- 
culties in the way of Hooker's advance can only be prop- 
erly estimated by reading the following account of his 
fighting on the 28th of October, written by an eye-witness: 

" The morning of the 28th opened with a clear, bright, 
beautiful moonlight, the scenery on every side traced in 
dark somber hues on the background of the sky. High, 
towering mountains — the Raccoon Mountain on one side and 
the Lookout Mountain on the other — and the valley diver- 
sified by open fields and small clumps of woods, formed a 
curious picture. On Lookout Mountain bright fires burned, 
and told us too plainly where to look for the enemy and 
his signal officers. Our camp-fires burned brightly, and 
our line lay on a parallel with what was the enemy's on the 
day previous. Two divisions were encamped on the left or 
front of our line. Another division, General Geary's, was 
in bivouac, about one mile and a half from the other two 
divisions. Between the two sections of the command the 
enemy held a position on the Chattanooga road proper, as 
also on the railroad. In brief, the enemy had a force, in 
a gap between the base of the point of Lookout Mountain, 
along the river on the flats and some hills, partially situated 
in our rear. Suddenly the L^nion troops were aroused by 
the heavy firing in the direction of General Geary's division. 
At once preparation was made for a general engagement. 
The troops were soon in column, and the trains and ambu- 
lances got in readiness for the emergency. As they pressed 
forward on the road to join General Geary, the enemy 



216 LIFE OF GRANT. 

opened a heavy fire of musketry from a high hill close to 
their line of advance. At once our commanding generals 
comprehended the state of affairs. The enemy had intend- 
ed their movement to be a surprise, and one with a view 
to the probable surrounding and possible capture of Gearvs 
force. From prisoners taken during the fight that ensued, 
we learned that General Longstreet, on beholding our col- 
umn move up the Lookout Valley toward Chattanooga, 
quietly massed two divisions on Lookout Mountain, and 
moved them up to and across Lookout Creek, with a view to 
the carrying out of the plan of his surprise movement. About 
eight P. M. he moved his division across the creek. One 
division passed on to the Chattanooga road and occupied 
two hills commanding the road, on a parallel, leading to 
Brown's Ferry. The other division passed down the rail- 
road, and from there on to the Chattanooga road, below the 
fork. The rebels had intrenched themselves on the hill, 
and from their works had opened fire upon the Union com- 
mand; but this did not delay the advance of the reinforce- 
ments, which pushed along under fire through an open space 
or field to the right of the front of the hills. 

" While this command was pressing forward, a second di- 
vision was moved up on the road, and a courier Sjent to 
inform General Geary of the near approach of assistance. 

" An order was now given to take the hill, and the second di- 
vision was assigned to the task. The advance was commenced 
and the enemy poured down a heavy fire of musketry. 
Slowly the men went up the hill, the ascent of which was so 
steep that it was as much as a man could do to get to the top 
in peaceful times, and with the help of daylight. This hill 
was covered with briar-bushes, fallen trees, and tangling 
masses of various descriptions, but our boys pressed for- 
ward in spite of all obstructions. The whole division at last 
gave a sudden start forward and gained the crest of the 



LIFE OF GRANT. 217 

hill. The enemy's line wavered and broke, and the rebels 
composing it went down the other side of the hill with bro- 
ken, Hying, fcird disordered ranks. On gaining the crest our 
men found that they had not only driven the enemy off, but 
had taken some tolerably well-constructed earth-works, be- 
hin 1 Which the rebels had posted themselves. It was then 
ascertained, too, that the hill had been occupied by about 
two thousand rebels. The success and gallantry with which 
the height was taken elicited general commendation to the 
/skill and bravery of the troops and their commanding officers." 

Soon after this a detachment from another division took 
the next hill to the right without much resistance. 

The enemy continued a scattering fire for some time after 
the hills were taken, but finally ceased troubling us. In 
the meantime, General Geary had bravely resisted the 
rebel attack, and, after two hours hard fighting, the enemy 
had retreated, without making Geary's line waver or fall 
back one foot. Almost every horse, in one section of artil- 
lery, was shot dead. The enemy retired across the railroad, 
and from there to the other side of the creek. 

"Fighting Joe Hooker" bravely overcame every obstacle, 
and pushed on until, in the language of Grant, " he reached 
the proper place." 

On the 14th of November, Longstreet was reported cross- 
ing the Little Tennessee River with a strong force, and the 
same evening Burnside's Union troops attacked the rebel 
advance and drove it back. At Lenoir the rebels were 
again brought to a halt, and a severe action, lasting from 
noon until night, was fought at Campbell's Station. 

The detention of the rebels enabled the Unionists to 
withdraw their garrisons and get off their trains, which they 
sent within the defenses at Knoxville. The holding of the 
rebels in check also enabled Grant to complete his opera- 
tions in front of Chattanooga. 



218 LIFE OF GRANT. 

On the 19th of November, Burnside notified Grant that 
the Union forces, trains, and supplies, were all safely housed 
within the strong works of Knoxville, and that the rebels 
were before the city beginning a siege. Grant, who had 
feared all along that Longstreet might be recalled to the aid 
of Bragg, when he heard that the rebel general was be- 
sieging Knoxville, drew forth a long cigar, and lighting it, 
exclaimed, with evident satisfaction : " Good ! we have them 
now where we want them. I will move on the enemy's 
works." 

It was now the morning of the 23d of November, and the 
first act in the great drama of Chattanooga was about to 
begin. Grant, Thomas, Howard, and Wood stood on the 
ramparts of Fort Wood watching the long lines of soldiers 
debouching from their camps and forming on the plains. 

The rebels watched the formation and movement from 
their picket-lines and rifle-pits, and from the summits of 
Missionary Ridge, five hundred feet above, and thought it 
was a review and drill, so openly and deliberately, so regu- 
lar, was it all done. 

The line advanced, preceded by skirmishers, and at two 
o'clock P. M. reached our picket-lines, and opened a 
rattling volley upon the rebel pickets, who replied and ran 
into their advanced line of rifle-pits. After them went our 
skirmishers and into them, along the center of the line of 
twenty-five thousand troops which General Thomas had so 
quickly displayed, until we opened fire. Prisoners assert 
that they thought the whole movement was a review and 
general drill, and that it was too late to send to their camps 
for reinforcements, and that they were overwhelmed by 
force of numbers. 7/ ivas a surprise in open daylight. 

At three P. M., the important advanced position of 
Orchard Knob and the lines right and left were in our 



LIFE OF GRANT. 219 

possession, and arrangements were ordered for holding them 
during the night. 

The next day, at daylight, General Sherman had five 
thousand men across the Tennessee, and established on its 
south bank, and commenced the construction of a pontoon 
bridge about six miles above Chattanooga. The rebel 
steamer Dunbar was repaired at the right moment, and 
rendered effective aid in this crossing, carrying over six 
thousand men. 

By night-fall General Sherman had seized the extremity 
of Missionary Ridge nearest the river, and was intrenching 
himself. General Howard, with a brigade, opened com- 
munication with him from Chattanooga on the south side 
of the river. Skirmishing and cannonading continued all 
day on the left and center. General Hooker scaled the 
slopes of Lookout Mountain, and from the valley of Look- 
out Creek drove the rebels around the point. He captured 
some two thousand prisoners, and established himself high 
up the mountain side, in fall view of Chattanooga. This 
raised the blockade, and now steamers were ordered from 
Bridgeport to Chattanooga. They had run only to Kelley's 
Ferry, whence ten miles of hauling over mountain roads 
and twice across the Tennessee on pontoon bridges brought 
us our supplies. 

The day had been one of dense mists and rains, and 
much of General Hooker s battle was fought above the clouds, 
which concealed him from our view, but from which his 
musketry was heard. 

The fighting in Hooker's front had been desperate in the 
extreme. Shanks, who witnessed it, gives the following 
account: 

"Now began the heavy struggle of the day. Sending 
two regiments to hold the road which crosses the spur of the 
mountain from the east, he advanced the rest of his forces 



220 LIFE OF GRAXT. 

to the front line. An advance was immediately ordered, 
and for an hour and a half (it was now two o'clock P. M.) a 
very heavy sharpshooters' fight was kept up. I can not 
expect to give any clear idea of this engagement. It was 
no place to maneuver columns. Each man and company 
fought upon his and its 'own hook.' From Chattanooga 
nothing was visible save the misty smoke which enveloped 
and hid the mountain. But beneath this the combatants 
saw each other, and here they continued to fight with des- 
peration until four o'clock, when there came a tide in Hook- 
er's fortune, w T hich he did not fail to take at the flood. 

"The skirmish line was enabled, under cover of the trees 
which grew along that part of the ridge, to advance much 
nearer the rebel line than those in the immediate front of 
the enemy and the open field. It was also upon the flank 
of the position; and the weakness of the enemy having 
compelled him to contract his left, a lodgment was found 
very near their rifle-pits. General Hooker, upon being 
informed of this, at four o'clock ordered a charge of the 
line, and through a heavy and rapid fire, kept up for five 
long minutes — and minutes are sometimes very long — the 
men dashed forward upon, over, and into the abandoned pits. 
The enemy had seen the long line of steel that glittered 
even amid the rain which was pouring upon them, and they 
couldn't stand that. They also saw troops upon their left 
flank, and, filled with that holy horror which old soldiers 
have for 'flunk movements,' they couldn't stand that. 
They fell back, abandoning works, artillery, and position, 
but still holding the important Summertown road. 

"But the enemy, though flanked and overpowered, did 
not appear disposed to leave us in quiet possession of his 
w T orks and guns. He hastily reformed his lines, and pre- 
pared to assault in turn. The Unionists had hardly occu- 
pied the captured position, or been able to remove the 



LIFE OF GRANT. 221 

captured guns, before the enemy returned to the attack, 
lie pressed forward with great vigor, and gained ground 
very rapidly at first, but found in his way the same obstacle 
of the open field, while he did not have the advantage of 
superior numbers. As soon as it came to close work, his 
rapidly advancing lines were halted very suddenly by the 
terrible fire which was now poured in upon him. He 
continued, however, to fire rapidly, and with some execution 
upon our line, but would have been ultimately repulsed 
without other assistance, had not a very serious obstacle 
presented itself. 

" Men in line of battle very soon expend their ammunition. 
In a skirmishing engagement, like that they were then 
having, they dispose of it even more rapidly. We were 
nearly out of ammunition, and the commanding officer had 
serious fears he would have to relinquish possession of the 
works, if his cartridge-boxes were not soon replenished. 
General Hooker, anticipating this, had sent for ammunition 
at an early hour after getting possession of the road across 
the spur of the mountain ; but the difficulties of the uncer- 
tain pontoon bridges had prevented his getting any. He 
again asked for it, and this time it came, and at the oppor- 
tune moment. The men were beginning to fall out of line 
occasionally, entirely out of ammunition; for when a man 
puts his hand behind him and into his cartridge-box, to find 
no cartridges there, a good deal of his confidence, if not 
courage, oozes out at the ends of his fingers, with which he 
thought to grasp the death-dealing messenger. The line 
was beginning to be thinned by men who had fired their 
sixty rounds, when the ammunition which General Thomas 
had sent sprang across Chattanooga Creek. The enemy 
had begun to perceive his advantage and to push forward, 
when this ammunition marched up the hill. The enemy had 
even ventured upon a shout of assured victory, when this 



222 LIFE OF GRANT. 

ammunition deployed into line and double-quicked across 
the open field, and sprang into the vacated places. There 
were one hundred and twenty thousand rounds of it, 
strapped upon the backs of as good men as had stayed 
with Thomas at Chickamauga, and m ten minutes after it 
reached the works it had repulsed the enemy! The reen- 
forcements which so opportunely arrived, consisted of a 
brigade of the Fourteenth Corps, and upon it devolved the 
remainder of the labor of the day. It was dark by the 
time the enemy were repulsed, and those who stayed in 
Chattanooga describe the fight as the most magnificent view 
of the grand panorama of war which we have just witnessed. 
It was just beginning to be dark enough to see the flash 
of the muskets, and still light enough to distinguish the 
general outline of the contending masses. The mountain 
was lit up by the fires of the men in the second line, and 
the flash of musketry and artillery. An unearthly noise 
rose from the mountain, as if the old monster was groaning 
with the punishment the pigmy combatants inflicted upon 
him as -well as upon each other. And during it all, the 
great guns upon the summit continued, as in rage, to bel- 
low defiance at the smaller guns of Moccasin Point, which, 
with lighter tone, and more rapidly, as if mocking the 
imbecility of its giant enemy, continued to fire till the day 
roared itself into darkness. 

"The enemy fell back, after his repulse, to a point cover- 
ing the Summertown ascent to the summit of the mountain, 
and for the remainder of the night confined himself to the 
defense of that defile, and to the evacuation of the mountain. 

" Subsequently, about midnight, the enemy, to cover his 
retreat, made an assault upon the Union lines, but though 
they did some execution, they were handsomely repulsed. 

"General Hooker made a great reputation, by this attack, 
with the men of the Army of the Cumberland. As his 



LIFE OF GRANT. 223 

lines would advance after night, the men could see his fires 
springing up and locating his new line. As each line 
became developed by these fires, those on the mountain 
could plainly distinguish the cheers of their comrades below. 
One of the expressions used by a private who was watching 
the fires from Orchard Knob, has already grown into the 
dignity of a camp proverb. On seeing the line of camp-fires 
advanced to Carlin's house, and beyond the rifle-pits of the 
enemy, a soldier in General Wood's command sprang up 
from his reclining position on Orchard Knob, and exclaimed: 
'"Look at old Hooker ! Do n't he fight for keeps V " 
The sequel of the fight — the morning's handsome epilogue 
to the night's drama — is already known. Hooker found 
the enemy gone, and the assault of Lookout Mountain had 
not been in vain. 

The following is General Grant's modest dispatch with 
regard to the operations of the second day : 

" Chattanooga, Nov. 24—6 P. M. 
" Major- General II. W. Halleek, General-in-Chief, Washington, D. C. : 

"The fighting to-day progressed favorably. 

"General Sherman carried the end of Missionary Ridge, 
and his right is now at the tunnel, and his left at Chicka- 
mauga Creek. 

" The troops from Lookout Valley carried the point of the 
mountain, and now hold the eastern slope and point high 
up. 

"I can not yet tell the amount of casualties, but our loss 
is not heavy. 

" General Hooker reports two thousand prisoners taken, 
besides which a small number have fallen into our hands 
from Missionary Ridge. 

"U. S. Grant, Major- General" 

In the above dispatch General Grant says nothing about 



224 LIFE OF GRANT. 

himself, or in what manner he had participated in the 
struggle, although, notwithstanding his crippled condition, 
he anxiously watched the movements of the troops at a 
position within cannon shot of the enemy. 

At night, after the battle, the clouds broke away, and 
the full moon shone bright and clear upon the terrible scene. 
At one o'clock A. M., the twinkling sparks upon the 
mountain side showed that the skirmishing had already 
begun, and continued until the light broke and ushered 
in another day of battle. 

The rebel troops were seen, as soon as it was light 
enough, streaming regiments and brigades along the narrow 
summit of Missionary Ridge, either concentrating on the 
right to overwhelm Sherman, or marching for the railroad 
to raise the siege. 

They had evacuated the valley of Chattanooga. Would 
they abandon that of Chickamauga? 

The twenty-pounders and four-and-a-quarter-inch rifles of 
Wood's redoubt opened on Missionary Ridge. Orchard 
Knob sent its compliments to the ridge, which, with rifled 
Parrots, answered, and the cannonade thus commenced, con- 
tinued all day. Shot and shell screamed from Orchard Knob 
to Missionary Ridge, and from Missionary Ridge to Orchard 
Knob, and from Wood's redoubt, over the heads of Generals 
Grant and Thomas and their staffs, who were with us in this 
favorable position, from whence the whole battle could be 
seen as in an amphitheater. The head-quarters w T ere under 
fire all day long. 

Cannonading and musketry were heard from General 
Sherman, and General Howard marched the Eleventh Corps 
to join him. 

General Thomas sent out skirmishers, who drove in the 
rebel pickets and chased them into their intrenchments; and 
at the foot of Missionary Ridge, Sherman made an assault 



LIFE OF GRANT. 225 

against Brass's right, intrenched on a high knob next to 
that on which Sherman himself lay fortified. The assault 
was gallantly made. 

The following thrilling account of Sherman's advance is 
from the pen of the accomplished writer, B. F. Taylor : 

"The iron heart of Sherman's column began to be audible, 
like the fall of great trees in the depth of the forest, as it 
beat beyond the woods on the extreme left. Over roads in- 
describable, and conquering lions of difficulties that met him 
all the w r ay, he at length arrived with his command of the 
Army of the Tennessee. The roar of his guns was like the 
striking of a great clock, and grew nearer and louder as the 
morning wore away. Along the center all was still. Our 
men lay as they had lain since Tuesday night, motionless 
behind the works. Generals Grant, Thomas, Granger, 
Meigs, Hunter, Reynolds, were grouped at Orchard Knob, 
here; Bragg, Breckinridge, Hardee, Stevens, Cleburne, Bates, 
Walker, were waiting on Mission Ridge, yonder. And the 
northern clock tolled on! At noon, a pair of steamers, 
screaming in the river across the town, telling over, in their 
own wild way, our mountain triumph on the right, pierced 
the hushed breath of air between two lines of battle w T ith a 
note or two of the music of peaceful life. 

"At one o'clock the signal flag at Fort Wood was a flutter. 
Scanning the horizon, another flag, glancing like a lady's 
handkerchief, showed white across a field lying high and dry 
upon the ridge three miles to the north-east, and answered 
back. The center and Sherman's corps had spoken. As 
the hour went by, all semblance to falling tree and tolling 
clock had vanished; it w T as a rattling roar; the ring of Sher- 
man's panting artillery, and the fiery gust from the rebel 
guns on Tunnel Hill, the point of Mission Ridge. The 
enemy had massed there the corps of Hardee and Buckner, 
as upon a battlement, utterly inaccessible save by one steep, 
15 



226 LIFE OF GRANT. 

narrow way, commanded by their guns. A thousand men 
could hold it against a host. And right in front of this hold 
abutment of the ridge, /is a broad, clear field, skirted by 
woods. Across this tremendous threshold up to death's door 
moved Sherman's column. Twice it advanced, and twice I 
saw it swept back in bleeding lines before the furnace blast, 
until that russet field seemed some strange page ruled thick 
with blue and red. Bright valor was in vain; they lacked 
the ground to stand on; they wanted, like the giant of old 
story, a touch of earth to make them strong. It was the 
devil's own corner. Before them was a lane, whose upper 
end the rebel cannon swallowed. Moving by the right flank, 
nature opposed them with precipitous heights. There was 
nothing for it but straight across the field, swept by an enfi- 
lading fire, and up to the lane, down which drove the storm. 
They could unfold no broad front, and so the losses were 
less than seven hundred, that must otherwise have swelled 
to thousands. The musketry fire was delivered with terrible 
emphasis; two dwellings, in one of which Federal wounded 
men were lying, set on fire by the rebels, began to send up 
tall columns of smoke, streaked red with fire ; the grand and 
ihe terrible were blended. 

"At half-past three, a group of generals, whose names will 
need no 4 Old Mortality' to chisel them anew, stood upon 
Orchard Knob. The hero of Vicksburg was there, calm, 
clear, persistent, far-seeing. Thomas, the sterling and 
sturdy; Meigs, Hunter, Granger, Reynolds. Clusters of 
humbler mortals were there, too, but it was any thing but a 
turbulent crowd; the voice naturally feU into a subdued tone, 
and even young faces took on the gravity of later years. 
Generals Grant, Thomas, and Granger conferred, an order 
was given, and in an instant the knob was cleared like a ship's 
deck for action. At twenty minutes of four, Granger stood 



LIFE OF GRANT. 227 

upon the parapet ; the bugle swung idle at the bugler's side, 
the warbling fife and the grumbling drum unheard : — there 
was to be louder talk — six guns at intervals of two seconds, 
the signal to advance. Strong and steady his voice rang 
out: 'Number one, fire! Number two, fire! Number 
three, fire ! ' it seemed to me the tolling of the clock of des- 
tiny ; and when at ' Number six, fire!' the roar throbbed out 
with the flash, you should have seen the dead line that had 
been lying behind the works all day, all night, all day again, 
come to resurrection in the twinkling of an eye — leap like 
a blade from its scabbard, and sweep with a two-mile stroke 
toward the ridge. From divisions to brigades, from brigades 
to regiments, the order ran. A minute, and the skirmishers 
deploy ; a minute, and the first great drops begin to patter 
along the line ; a minute, and the musketry is in full play 
like the crackling whips of a hemlock fire ; men go down 
here and there, before your eyes ; the wind lifts the smoke 
and drifts it away over the top of the ridge ; every thing is 
too distinct; it is fairly palpable; you can touch it with your 
hand. The divisions of Wood and Sheridan are wading 
breast deep in the valley of death. 

" ' Take the ridge if you can ' — i Take the ridge if you 
can ' — and so it went along,~the line. But the advance had 
already set forth without it. Stout-hearted Wood, the iron- 
gray veteran, is rallying on his men; stormy Turchin is 
delivering brave words in bad English ; Sheridan — * little 
Phil' — you may easily look down upon him without climb- 
ing a tree, and see one of the most gallant leaders of the 
age if you do — is riding to and fro along the first line of 
rifle-pits, as calmly as a chess-player. An aid rides up 
with the order. 'Avery, Wint flask,' said the General. 
Quietly filling the pewter cup, Sheridan looks up at the 
battery that frowns above him, by Bragg's head-quarters, 



228 LIFE OF GRANT. 

shakes his cap amid that storm of every thing that kills, 
when you could hardly hold your hand without catching a 
bullet in it, and with a ' How are you ? ' tosses off the cup. 
The blue battle-flag of the rebels fluttered a response to the 
cool salute, and the next instant the battery let fly its six 
guns, showering Sheridan with earth. Alluding to that com- 
pliment with any thing but a blank cartridge, the General 

said to me in his quiet way, ' I thought it ungenerous ! ' 

The recording angel will drop a tear upon the word for the 
part he played that day. Wheeling toward the men, he 
cheered them to the charge, and made at the hill like a bold- 
riding hunter ; they were out of the rifle-pits and into the 
tempest and struggling up the steep, before you could get 
breath to tell it, and so they were throughout the inspired 
line. 

"And now you have before you one of the most startling 
episodes of the war; I can not render it in words; diction- 
aries are beggarly things. But I may tell you they did not 
storm that mountain as you would think. They dash out a 
little way, and then slacken ; they creep up, hand over hand, 
loading and firing, and wavering and halting, from the first 
line of works to the second ; they burst into a charge with a 
cheer, and go over it. Sheets of flame baptize them ; plung- 
ing shot tear away comrades on left and right; it is no 
longer shoulder to shoulder ; it is God for us all ! Under 
the tree-trunks, among rocks, stumbling over the dead, 
struggling with the living, facing the steady fire of eight 
thousand infantry poured down on their heads as if it were 
the old historic curse from heaven, they wrestle with the 
ridge. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes go by like a reluctant 
century. The batteries roll like a drum ; between the 
second and last lines of rebel works is the torrid zone of the 
battle ; the hill sways up like a wall before them at an angle 
of forty-five degrees, but our brave mountaineers are clam- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 229 

bering steadily on — up — upward still ! You may think it 
strange, but I would not have recalled them if I could. 
They would have lifted you, as they did me, in full view of 
the heroic grandeur : they seemed to be spurning the dull 
earth under their feet, and going up to do Homeric battle 
with the greater gods. 

"The race of the flags is growing every moment more 
terrible. There at the right, a strange thing catches the 
eye ; one of the inverted V's is turning right side up. The 
men struggling along the converging lines to overtake the 
flag have distanced it, and there the colors are, sinking down 
in the center between the rising flanks. The line wavers like 
a great billow and up comes the banner again, as if heaved 
on a surge's shoulder. The iron sledges beat on. Hearts, 
loyal and brave, are on ihe anvil, all the way from base to 
summit of Mission Ridge, but those dreadful hammers never 
intermit. Swarms of bullets sweeps the hill ; you can count 
twenty-eight balls in one little tree. Things are growing 
desperate up aloft ; the rebels tumble rocks upon the rising 
line ; they light fuses and roll shells down the steep ; they 
load the guns with handfuls of cartridges in their haste ; 
and as if there were powder in the word, they shout ' Chick- 
amauga ! ' down upon the mountaineers. But it would not 
all do, and just as the sun, weary of the scene, was sinking 
out of sight, with magnificent bursts all along the line, ex- 
actly as you have seen the crested seas leap up at the break- 
water, the advance surged over the crest, ajid in a minute 
those flags fluttered along the fringe where fifty rebel guns 
were kenneled. God bless the flag ! God save the Union ! 

"As Sheridan rode up to the guns, the heels of Breckin- 
ridge's horse glittered in the last rays of sunshine. That 
crest was hardly ' well off with the old love before it was on 
with the new/ 



230 LIFE OF (J KANT. 

" But the scene on the narrow plateau can never be painted. 
As the blue coats surged over its edge, cheer on cheer rang 
like bells through the valley of the Chickamauga. Men flung 
themselves exhausted upon the ground. They laughed and 
wept, shook hands, embraced; turned round and did all four 
over again. It was as wild as a carnival. Granger was re- 
ceived with a shout. 'Soldiers,' said he, 'you ought to be 
court-martialed every man of you. I ordered you to take 
the rifle-pits and you scaled the mountain ! ' but it was not 
Mars' horrid front exactly with which he said it, for his 
cheeks were wet with tears as honest as the blood that red- 
dened all the route. Wood uttered words that rang like 
'Napoleon's,' and Sheridan, the rowels at his horse's flanks, 
was ready for a dash down the ridge with a ' view halloo,' 
for a fox hunt. 

-But you must not think that this was all there was of 
the scene on the crest, for fight and frolic was strangely 
mingled. Not a rebel had dreamed a man of us all would 
live to reach the summit, and when a little wave of the Fed- 
eral cheer rolled up and broke over the crest, they defiantly 
cried, 'Hurrah, and be damned!' the next minute a Union 
regiment followed the voice, the rebels delivered their fire, 
and tumbled down in their rifle-pits, their faces distorted 
with fear. No sooner had the soldiers scrambled to the 
ridge and straightened themselves, than up muskets and 
away they blazed. One of them, fairly beside himself be- 
tween laughing and crving, seemed puzzled at which end of 
his piece he should load, and so abandoning the gun and the 
problem together, he made a catapult of himself and fell to 
hurling stones after the enemy. And he said as he threw — 
Well, you know our 'army swore terribly in Flanders.' Bay- 
onets glinted and miisKets rattled. General Sheridan's horse 
was killed under him ; Richard was not in his role, and so 
he leaped upon a rebel gun for want of another. Rebel ar- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 2S\ 

tillerists are driven from their batteries at the edge of the 
sword and the point of the bayonet; two rebel <mns are 
swung round upon their old masters. But there is nobody to 
had them. Light and heavy artillery do not belong to the 
winged kingdom. Two infantry men claiming to be old ar- 
tillerists, volunteer. Granger turns captain of the guns, 
and — right about wheel ! — in a moment they are growling after 
the flying enemy. I say 'flying,' but that is figurative. 
The many run like Spanish merinos, but the few fight like 
gray wolves at bay ; they load and fire as they retreat; they 
arc fairly scorched out of position. 

"A sharpshooter, fancying Granger to be worth the pow- 
der, coolly tries his hand at him. The general hears the zip 
of a ball at one ear, but does n't mind it. In a minute away 
it sings at the other. He takes the hint, sweeps with his 
glass the direction whence the couple came, and brings up 
the marksman, just drawing a bead upon him again. At 
that instant a Federal argument persuades the cool hunter, 
and down he goes. That long range gun of his was cap- 
tared, weighed twenty-four pounds, was telescope-mounted, 
a sort of mongrel howitzer. 

"A colonel is slashing away with his saber in a ring of 
rebels. Down goes his horse under him ; they have him 
on the hip; one of them is taking deliberate aim, when 
up rushes a lieutenant, claps a pistol to one ear and roars 
in at the other, 'Who the h— 1 are you shooting at?' The 
fellow drops his piece, gasps out, 'I surrender,' and the next 
instant the gallant lieutenant falls sharply wounded. He is 
a 'roll of honor' officer, straight up from the ranks, and he 
honors the roll. 

"A little German, in Wood's division, is pierced like the 
lid of a pepper-box, but he is neither dead nor wounded. 
' See here,' he says, rushing up to a comrade, l a pullet hit 
te preach of mine gun — a pullet in mine pocket-book — a 



232 LIFE OF GRANT. 

pullet in mine coat tail; they shoots me tree, five times, and 
py tarn I gives dem h — 1 yet ! ' 

"But I can render you no idea of the battle caldron that 
boiled on the plateau. An incident here and there I have 
given you, and you must fill out the picture for yourself. 
Dead rebels lay thick around Bragg's head-quarters and 
along the ridge. Scabbards, broken arms, artillery horses, 
wrecks of gun carriages, and bloody garments, strewed the 
scene; and, tread lightly, oh! loyal-hearted, the boys in blue 
are lying there ; no more the sounding charge, no more the 
brave, wild cheer, and never for them, sweet as the breath 
of the the new-mown hay in the old home fields, 'The Sol- 
dier's Return from the War.' A little waif of a drummer- 
boy, somehow drifted up the mountain in the surge, lies 
there ; his pale face upward, a blue spot on his breast. 
Muffle his drum for the poor child and his mother. 

" Our troops met one loyal welcome on the height. How 
the old Tennesseean that gave it managed to get there, no- 
body knows ; but there he was, grasping a colonel's hand, 
and saying, while the tears ran down his face, ' God be 
thanked ! I knew the Yankees would fight ! ' With the 
receding flight and swift pursuit the battle died away in 
murmurs, far down the valley of the Chickamauga; Sheridan 
was again in the saddle, and with his command spurring on 
after the enemy. Tall columns of smoke were rising at the 
left. The rebels were burning a train of stores a mile long. 
In the exploding rebel caissons we had ' the cloud by day,' 
and now we are having ' the pillar of fire by night.' The 
sun, the golden dish of the scales that balance day and 
night, had hardly gone down, when up, beyond Mission 
Ridge, rose the silver side, for that night it was full moon. 
The troubled day was done. A Federal general sat in the 
seat of the man who, on the very Saturday before the bat- 
tle, had sent a flag to the Federal lines with the words : 



LIFE OF GRANT. 233 

1 Humanity would dictate the removal of all non-combatants 
from Chattanooga, as I am about to shell the city ! ' " 

Bragg left the house in which he had held his head- 
* quarters, and rode to the rear, as our troops crowded the 
hill on either side of him. General Grant proceeded to the 
summit, and then only did we know its height. At the sight 
of their beloved chieftain, who was now to inscribe " Chatta- 
nooga" upon the banner already blazoned with the glorious 
names of "Donelson" and of " Yicksburg," the soldiers 
raised a shout which reached the ears of the rejoicing thou- 
sands in the city below, and which added new speed to the foot- 
steps of the fugitives, who in the most rapid flight alone 
could hope for safety. " There is nothing in this world," 
said the Duke of Wellington, "more dreadful than a great 
victory, except a great defeat." This victory cost four 
thousand Union men, in killed and wounded. 

Grant captured at Chattanooga six thousand prisoners, 
forty guns, seven thousand stand of small arms, and a great 
quantity of ammunition. 

General Meigs, writing to the Secretary of War from the 
battle-field, says: "Probably not so well directed, so well 
ordered a battle has taken place during the war. But one 
assault was repulsed; but that assault, by calling to that 
point the rebel reserves, prevented them repulsing any of 
the others." The strength of the rebellion in the center is 
broken. Burnside is relieved from danger in East Ten- 
nessee. Kentucky and Tennessee are rescued. Georgia 
and the south-east are threatened in the rear, and another 
victory is added to the chapter of " Unconditional Surrender 
Grants Without waiting to rest for a moment, Grant or- 
dered the pursuit of the enemy to begin, and early the next 
morning sent Sherman with his corps to the relief of Burn- 
side at Knoxville. 

Hooker and Palmer marched on the Rossville road to 



234 LIFE OF GRANT. 

White Oak Ridge and Taylor's Ridge, where they found a 
strong rebel force under Cleburne posted in ambush. A 
severe action ensued, in which the rebels were badly beaten. 

Sherman's column marched to Ringgold, where Davis' 
division came upon the enemy. Our advance was driven 
back, but Osterhaus and Geary were ordered up, and soon 
turned the tide of battle in favor of the Union arms. The 
rebels lost one hundred and thirty killed. Two pieces of 
artillery and two hundred and thirty prisoners, mostly 
wounded, were taken by the Union troops. Our loss was 
sixty killed and three hundred and seventy wounded. This 
brilliant little fight was the last one in which General Grant 
was personally engaged in the West, and he signalized it 
bv the most heroic conduct. From the beginning to the 
close of the action he was under firepand in person directed 
the movement of the troops. One of his staif officers, 
writing soon after the battle to a friend, says in his letter: 

" It has been a matter of universal wonder in this army 
that General Grant himself was not killed, and that no more 
accidents occurred to his staff: for the General was always 
in the front (his staff with him, of course), and perfectly 
heedless of the storm of hissing bullets and screaming shell 
flying around him. His apparent want of sensibility does 
not arise from heedlessness, heartlessness, or vain military 
affectation, but from a sense of the responsibility resting 
upon him when in battle. When at Ringgold, we rode for 
half a mile in the face of the enemy, under an incessant 
fire of cannon and musketry ; nor did we ride fast, but 
upon an ordinary trot; and not once do I believe did it 
enter the General's mind that he was in danger. I was by 
his side, and watched him closely. In riding that distance 
we were £oinor to the front, and I could see that he was 
studying the positions of the two armies, and of course, 
planning how to defeat the enemy, who was here making 



LIFE OF GRANT. 235 

a most desperate stand, and was slaughtering our men fear- 
fully." 

Grant was naturally very anxious about Burnside. That 
General had sent Grant word that his supplies would only 
last until the 3d day of December, and that Knoxville could 
not be abandoned. It was now near the end of November, 
and Grant sent Granger word to hasten to Knoxville ; but 
Granger not going fast enough for the sleepless anxiety of 
Grant, Sherman was ordered to supersede him and push on 
day and night until he reached the beleaguered city. 

It was now a race between the Union troops and famine, 
.which should get to Knoxville first, and the Union troops 
won. 

Longstreet, hearing that Sherman was coming down upon 
him with the speed of a race-horse, ordered the bayonets 
to be fixed and the works assaulted at once. The attack 
was gallantly repulsed, and Sherman sent a note to Burn- 
side to hold on, that he was coming by forced marches 
with twenty-five thousand men and would fall upon Long- 
street's rear. Longstreet did not wait for him, however, 
but raised the siege and precipitately retreated toward 
Virginia. 

On the 5th of December, just two days after Burnside 
had declared his rations would give out, Sherman arrived 
at Marysville, one day's march from Knoxville, and sent 
Burnside the following note : 

"I am here, and can bring twenty-five thousand men into 
Knoxville to-morrow. But, Longstreet having retreated, I 
feel disposed to stop, for a stern chase is a long one. But 
I will do all that is possible. Without you specify that you 
want troops, I will let mine rest to-morrow, and ride to see 
you." On the morning of the 7th, the commands of Potter 
and Manson started in pursuit of the enemy, but failed to 
come up with any but small parties ; and thus ended the 



230 LIFE OP GRANT. 

most brilliant campaign since the days of Napoleon. On 
the 8th, President Lincoln sent the following dispatch to 
General Grant : 

" Understanding that your lodgment at Chattanooga and 
at Knoxville is now secure, I wish to tender you, and all 
under your command, my more than thanks, my profound- 
est gratitude, for the skill, courage, and perseverance with 
which you and they, over so great difficulties, have effected 
that important object. God bless you all!" 

On the 10th of December, General Grant, having returned 
to his head-quarters at Chattanooga, issued to his troops 
the following congratulatory order : 

" Head-quarters Military Division of the \ 

"Mississippi, in the Field, > 

"Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dec. 10, 1863. J 

" [General Orders, No. 9.] 

"The General commanding takes this opportunity of re- 
turning his sincere thanks and congratulations to the brave 
armies of the Cumberland, the Ohio, the Tennessee, and 
their comrades from the Potomac, for the recent splendid 
and decisive successes achieved over the enemy. In a short 
time you have recovered from him the control of the Ten- 
nessee River from Bridgeport to Knoxville. You dislodged 
him from his great stronghold upon Lookout Mountain, 
drove him from Chattanooga Valley, wrested from his deter- 
mined grasp the possession of Mission Ridge, repelled with 
heavy loss to him his repeated assaults upon Knoxville, 
forcing him to raise the siege there, driving him at all 
points, utterly routed and discomfited, beyond the limits 
of the State. By your noble heroism and determined cour- 
age, you have most effectually defeated the plans of the 
enemy for regaining possession of the States of Kentucky 
and Tennessee. You have secured positions from which no 
rebellious power can drive or dislodge you. For all this 



LIFE OF GRANT. 237 

the General commanding thanks you collectively and indi- 
vidually. The loyal people of the United States thank and 
bless you. Their hopes and prayers for your success 
against this unholy rebellion are with you daily. Their 
faith in you will not be in vain. Their hopes will not be 
blasted. Their prayers to Almighty God will be answered. 
You will yet go to other fields of strife ; and with the in- 
vincible bravery and unflinching loyalty to justice and right 
which have characterized you in the past, you will prove 
that no enemy can withstand you, and that no defenses, 
however formidable, can check your onward march. 

"By order of Major-General U. S. Grant." 

" T. S. Bowers, A. A. G." 

We seldom have a more striking exemplification of the 
power of the mind triumphing over the body, than General 
Grant presented during these hours of exhausting care and toil. 
He was then in feeble health, still severely suffering from his 
fall at New Orleans. He was so emaciated, and walked so 
feebly, that many feared he would never recover. Still, 
with all this bodily languor and suffering, his mind retained 
its accustomed energies, and he worked as indefatigably as 
if in the enjoyment of vigorous health. 

A woman, who resided upon the plateau of Missionary 
Ridge, said to one of our generals: "Before you all came 
up here, I asked General Bragg, 'What are you going to 
do with me, general?' He said to me, 'Lord! madam, the 
Yankees will never dare to come up here.' And it was not 
fifteen minutes till you were all around here." 

During the dark days of the siege, when food and forage 
were scarce, and the ghastly corpses and bleached skele- 
tons of starved mules lined the thoroughfares thereabouts, 
General Grant and Quartermaster-General Meigs arrived in 
Chattanooga. Taking an airing on horseback one afternoon, 



238 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



they passed the carcass of a huge mule lying by the road- 
side, whose "ill-savor went up" before and around them. 
The hero of Vicksburg removed his brier-root from his lips, 
and remarked sorrowfully, "Ah, General! there lies a dead 
soldier of the Quartermaster's Department." " Yes, Gene- 
ral," replied the Quartermaster-General, in subdued tones, 
" in him you see the ' ruling passion strong in death ' ex- 
emplified, for the old veteran has already assumed the of- 
fensive." 

General Grant, unlike most of our great Generals, never 
made a show of himself. A correspondent, writing about 
his personal habits in the army, says : 

" Another feature in General Grant's personal movements 
is that he requires no escort beyond his staff, so regardless 
of danger is he. Roads are almost useless to him, for he 
takes short cuts through fields and woods, and will swim his 
horse through almost any stream that obstructs his w r ay. 
Nor does it make any difference to him whether he has day- 
light for his movements, for he will ride from breakfast until 
two o'clock in the morning, and that too without eating. 
The next day he will repeat the dose, until he finishes his 
work. Now such things come hard upon the staff, but they 
have learned how to bear it." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 239 



CHAPTER XIII. 

GRANT'S VICTORIES — VOTE OF THANKS BY CONGRESS BILL TO REVIVE THE 

GRADE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL — A MEDAL GIVEN HIM — APPOINTED 
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL AND ASSUMES COMMAND OF THE ARMY — HONORS 
TO GENERAL GRANT — HE RECEIVES VALUABLE PRESENTS — THE OLD SOL- 

DIER'S GIFT GRANT VISITS NASHVILLE AND KNOXVILLE — CROSSES THE 

CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS ON HORSEBACK HIS RECEPTION AT LEXINGTON, 

KENTUCKY — VISIT TO LOUISVILLE HONORS AT MEMPHIS — A GRAND DIN- 
NER — SERENADE TO GRANT, AND HIS SPEECHES — GRANT LEAVES THE 

VEST HIS LETTER TO SHERMAN, AND SHERMANS REPLY HIS VISIT TO 

WASHINGTON — THE PRESIDENT PRESENTS HIM HIS COMMISSION AS LIEU- 
TENANT-GENERAL. 

When the news of General Grant's great victories reached 
the country, there was general rejoicing, and President Lin- 
coln recommended the people to assemble in their places 
of worship and give thanks to Almighty God for the great 
advancement vouchsafed the Union cause. Grant was 
every- where praised for his skill as a commander, and Mr. 
Washburn, yielding to the national wish, as soon as Con- 
gress assembled, rose and offered a bill "to revive the grade 
of Lieutenant-General of the army," and another "to pro- 
vide that a medal be struck fur General Grant, and that a 
vote of thanks be given him and the officers of his army." 
Both bills passed, and were signed by the President, the 
first on the 17th of December, 1863, and the second on the 
1st of March, 1864. 

The medal, the tribute of a nation's admiration, was de- 
signed by Leutze. On one side there was a profile like- 



240 LIFE OF GRANT. 

ness of General Grant, surrounded by a laurel wreath. 
His name, and the year of his victories, were inscribed upon 
it; and the whole was surrounded by a galaxy of stars. 
On the opposite side was the figure of Fame, gracefully 
seated on the American Eagle, which, with outspread wings, 
seemed preparing for flight. In her right hand she held 
the symbolical trumpet. With her left hand she presented a 
scroll, on which were inscribed the names of Corinth, Vicks- 
burg, Mississippi River, and Chattanooga. On her head 
there was a helmet, ornamented in Indian fashion, with 
feathers radiating from it. In front of the eagle, its breast 
resting against it, was the emblematical shield of the United 
States; beneath were sprigs of pine and palm twined to- 
gether, indicative of the union of the North and South. 
Over all, in a curved line, were the words, " Proclaim lib- 
erty throughout all the land." 

The medal was accompanied by the resolution of thanks 
passed by Congress, beautifully engrossed on parchment. 
In accordance with the design of the bill passed by Con- 
gress, President Lincoln, on the 10th day of March, issued 
the following executive order : 

"Executive Mansion, Washington, March 10, 1864. 

"Under the authority of the act of Congress to appoint 
to the grade of lieutenant general in the army, of March 
1, 1864, Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, United States 
Army, is appointed to the command of the armies of the 
United States. Abraham Lincoln." 

This order was forwarded by a courier to Nashville, 
where General Grant then was, and on the 17th of March, 
he issued the following brief response : 

"Head-quarters Armies of the United States, | 
"Nashville, Tenn., March 17, 1S64. } 

"In pursuance of the order of the President, I assume 



LIFE OF GRANT. 241 

command of the armies of the United States. Head-quarters 
will be in the field, and until further orders, will be with the 
Army of the Potomac. There will be an office head-quar- 
ters in Washington, to which all official communications 
will be sent, except those from the army where the head- 
quarters are at the date of their address. 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General." 

In the meantime, General Grant had been enjoying great 
honors and hospitalities at the hands of his fellow-citizens. 
Colleges, religious and literary societies had hastened to 
elect him an honorary member, and tenders of dinners, re- 
ceptions, and ovations were pouring in upon him from all 
quarters. The Rev. F. Marlay, Secretary of the Missionary 
Society of Cincinnati, wrote him he had been elected- an 
honorary member of that body, and Grant replied : 



" Rev. F. Marlay, Secretary Society : 

" Dear Sir : Through you permit me to express my 
thanks to the society of which you are the honored secre- 
tary, for the compliment they have seen fit to pay me by 
electing me one of its members. 

"I accept the election as a token of earnest support, by 
members of the Methodist Missionary Society of the Cin- 
cinnati Conference, to the cause of our country in this hour 
of trial. 

" I have the honor to be, very truly, 
"Your obedient servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Major-General U. S. A." 

Rev. Dr. Dunn, of Norristown, New Jersey, wrote Grant: 

" To Major-General U. S. Grant: 

"Dear Sir: I have the pleasure of informing you that 
16 



242 LIFE OF GRANT. 

the church of which I am pastor, the Methodist Episcopal 
Church of this town, highly appreciating your services for 
your country, and rejoicing in the victories which God has 
wrought out through you and your noble army, and praying 
that you may be spared to see the end of this accursed re- 
bellion, have contributed one hundred and fifty dollars 
($150) to constitute you a life director of the Missionary 
Society of the M. E. Church. Will you please direct where 
we shall send your certificate? May God Almighty bless 
and keep you, and continue to crown your arms with victory 
and triumph ! " 

Grant promptly replied through a staff officer : 
"In reply to your letter of December 19th, to Major- 
General U. S. Grant, he directs me to express his gratitude 
to the people of Norristown for their prayerful remembrance 
of him before the throne of the Most High, and to thank 
them, through you, for the honor conferred upon him. Be 
good enough to send his certificate of membership to Mrs. 
U. S. Grant, Louisville, Kentucky. 

"J. H. Wilson." 

A beautiful pair of revolvers were made for him by 
Colt's manufactory. The handles were of black horn, beau- 
tifully polished, and the barrels, magazines, and other steel 
parts elaborately inlaid with pure gold, which was beaten 
into a design previously cut out of the steel. The other 
ornaments, guard, etc., were of a solid gold. The pair 
were enclosed in a handsome roseAVOod-box, lined with 
velvet, and accompanied by all the tools, etc., belonging to 
them — the cartridge-boxes, etc., being manufactured of 
silver. 

The Legislature of Ohio passed and forwarded to him 
the following resolution : 

"Resolved, That the thanks of the people of this State 
be tendered to General Grant and his army for their glo- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 243 

rious victories in the Valley of the Mississippi, and the 
still more glorious victory of Missionary Ridge and Look- 
out Mountain, and that a certified copy of this resolution 
be forwarded to General Grant," 

New York, Pennsylvania, and other States passed him 
votes of thanks. Grant hats, coats, vests, cigars, pipes, and 
knives were made in abundance, and mothers every-where 
began to call their male children Grant. Of all the presents 
and honors he received, there is one that he refers to with 
more pleasure than the rest. It is a fine brier-wood cigar- 
case, made for him with a' pocket-knife, and presented" by 
a poor soldier, who said he gave it " because he loved his 
old gineral, and wanted him to sometimes think of him." 
The old soldier is remembered. 

General Grant, before leaving the Army of the West, 
determined to make a tour of inspection. Every-where he 
was received with the wildest enthusiasm by both citizens 
and soldiers. He visited Nashville and Knoxville, and from 
there passed wer the Cumberland Mountains on horseback. 
It was the severest days in midwinter, and often he was 
compelled to walk on foot. His object was to test the 
payability of the roads for troops. Traveling through 
Barboursville, London, and Danville, he reached Lexington 
in safety. Notwithstanding the deep snow and bitter cold 
weather, crowds every-where turned out to see the hero 
pass by, and, at Lexington, he was met with a spontaneous 
reception from the citizens. 

The town was crowded with the country visitors, and 
nothing would satisfy them but a speech. The General, 
however, contented himself with making his appearance! 
The people insisted on his getting upon a chair, that he 
plight be seen to better advantage, and, half pushed by 
General Leslie Coombs, General Grant mounted the impro- 
vised rostrum. General Coombs then introduced him in a 



244 LIFE OF GRANT. 

neat little speech, in which he said that "General Grant 
had told him in confidence — and he would not repeat it — 
that he never had made a speech, knew nothing about 
speech-making, and had no disposition to learn." After 
satisfying the curiosity of the people, but without ever 
having opened his mouth, General Grant dismounted from 
his chair and retired, amid the cheers of the assemblage. 

From Lexington he went to Louisville. His arrival at 
the Gait House was not generally known, and few who had 
not looked at the books suspected that the little man in 
faded blue overcoat, with heavy red whiskers and keen, 
bright eyes, the hero of the two rebel Gibraltars of Vicks- 
burg and Chattanooga, stood before them. The people had 
been so used to brilliantly-dressed and cleanly-shaven staff- 
officers, with star or double star, that they never dreamed 
of recognizing; in the blue overcoated men who figured in 
the scene with him, the admirable and hard-working staff- 
officers who have aided in no little degree to General 
Grant's success. 

On the 26th of January General Grant visited St. Louis 
to see a sick child. He went quietly to the hotel and 
recorded his name U. 3. Grant, Chattanooga. Visitors to 
the hotel, on looking over the register, as their eyes fell 
on those significant initials, were startled, and it was con- 
sidered by many a joke. It soon became noised about, 
however, that the great General was indeed in the city, 
and a large crowd assembled in and about the house. A 
letter tendering a public dinner was sent him, and Grant 
immediately replied : 

"St. Louis, Mo., January 27, 1864. 
"Colonel John Fallan, Hen. John Howe, and citizens of St. Louis: 

" Gentlemen : Your highly complimentary invitation' 
' to meet old acquaintances and make new ones/ at a 



LIFE OF GRANT. 245 

dinner to be given by citizens of St. Louis is just received. 
I will state that I have only visited St. Louis on this 
occasion to see a sick child. Finding, however, that he has 
passed the crisis of his disease, and is pronounced out of 
danger by his physicians, I accept the invitation. My stay 
in this city will be short — probably not beyond the 1st 
proximo. On to-morrow I shall be engaged. Any other 
day of my stay here, and any place selected by the citizens 
of St. Louis, it will be agreeable for me to meet them. 

"I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient 
servant, 

"U. S. Grant, Major-General U. S. A." 

The same evening he attended the St. Louis theater with 
his family, and was the cynosure of the eyes of all around 
him during the whole of the performance. After the fall of 
the curtain upon the play of Richelieu, cheers were pro- 
posed and heartily given for the "famous military chieftain." 
The General rose from his box bowing his acknowledgments, 
and, in response to calls, -was understood to say that he had 
never made ^a speech in his life, and never expected to. 
Asking to be excused, he resumed his seat amid a shower 
of cheers. The orchestra struck up "Hail Columbia," 
followed by "Yankee Doodle." 

Next day the City Council passed him a vote of thanks, 
and the mayor, by' order of the municipal departments, 
tendered him the hospitalities of the city. 

At his hotel Grant was overwhelmed by the cordial 
greetings tendered him. 

The lady inmates of the house took possession of an 
adjoining parlor, through the open door of which they could 
see the General, and several of his most ardent admirers 
among the fair spectators took the opportunity of his near 
proximity to the door in question to obtain an introduction. 






246 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The dinner was a splendid affair. 

Over two hundred guests met in the spacious hall at the 
Lindell Hotel, to confer honor upon the distinguished visitor. 
The room was richly decorated, and General Grant was not 
a little embarrassed by the attentions which were lavished 
upon him. There were three elegant tables spread length- 
wise in the hall, provided abundantly from the larder of the 
hotel. In the center of the one on the north side were 
seated the President of the Committee of Citizens, Judge 
Samuel Treat, with General Grant next on his right, followed 
by General Schofield, Colonel Leighton, Colonel Marcy, and 
Lieutenant-Governor Hall. Next on his left sat General 
Rosecrans, General Osterhaus, and Mr. F. Dent, father-in- 
law of the guest of the evening. Mr. Dent is a white- 
haired, florid, fine-looking gentleman, about sixty-five years 
old. He resided in St. Louis County, on the Gravois road. 
Immediately opposite Judge Treat, at the same table, sat 
Judge Lord, of the Land Court, flanked on the left by 
Major Dunn, C. B. Hubbell, Colonel Merrill, and G. Hoeber; 
and on the right by Colonel Callender, Colonel Myers, 
Colonel Haines, and Major C. P. E. Johnson. 

At the center of the south-table were seated Honorable 
Wayman Crow, with General McNeil, General Fisk, Gen- 
eral Brown, General Totten, and General Gray. The re- 
maining guests, to the number of two hundred, occupied the 
other seats at the tables. The hall, superb in the ceiling 
and wall colorings which embellished it, was further deco- 
rated by the spirited drapings of the national flag from 
each of the arched windows, and presented a magnificent 
appearance. 

When the toast, "Our distinguished guest, Major-General 
U. S. Grant," was given, the band struck up " Hail to the 
Chief," and General Grant rose, amid a storm of applause, 
and said: 



LIFE OF GRANT. 247 

"Gentlemen, in response it will be impossible for me to 
do more than to thank you." 

In the evening he was serenaded ; and an immense crowd 
surrounded the hotel, anxious to catch a sight of the hero, 
and clamorous for a speech. After some delay, General 
Grant stepped upon the balcony, and taking off his hat, in 
the midst of profoundest silence, said : 

"Gentlemen, I thank you for this honor. I can not make 
a speech. It is something I have never done, and never 
intend to do; and I beg you will excuse me." 

Loud cheers followed this brief address, at the conclu- 
sion of which the General replaced his hat, took a cigar 
from his pocket, lit it, and stood on the balcony in the 
presence of the crowd, puffing his Havana and watching 
the rockets as they ascended and burst in the air. 

"Speech! speech!" vociferated the multitude, and several 
gentlemen near him urged the General to say something to 
satisfy the people, but he declined. Judge Lord, of the 
Land Court, appeared very enthusiastic, and, placing his 
hand on General Grant's shoulder, said-: "Tell them you 
can fight for them, but can 't talk to them — do tell them 
that !" 

"I must get some one else to say that for me," replied 
the General; but the multitude continuing to cry out 
"Speech! speech!" he leaned over the railing, blew a 
wreath of smoke from his lips, and said: 

"Gentlemen, making speeches is not my business. I 
never did it in my life, and never will. I thank you, how- 
ever, for your attendance here," and with that the General 
retired. 

General Grant, after visiting the places of public interest, 
the universities and ladies' fair, left St. Louis much pleased 
with his visit, and taking with him the good wishes of all 
loyal citizens. 



248 LIFE OF GRANT. 

General Grant's work was now done in the West, and he 
found it his sad duty to take leave of his officers and 
soldiers. To Sherman he wrote : 

"Dear Sherman: The bill reviving the grade of lieu- 
tenant-general has become a law, and my name has been 
sent to the Senate for the place. I now receive orders to 
report to Washington immediately in person, which indicates 
a confirmation, or a likelihood of confirmation. I start in 
the morning to comply with the order. 

"While I have been eminently successful in this war, in 
at least gaining the confidence of the public, no one feels 
more than I how much of this success is due to the energy, 
skill, and the harmonious putting forth of that energy and 
skill, of those whom it has been my good fortune to have 
occupying subordinate positions under me. 

"There are many officers to whom these remarks are 
applicable to a greater or less degree, proportionate to their 
ability as soldiers; but what I want is to express my thanks 
to you and McPherson, as the men to whom, above all 
others, I feel indebted for whatever I have had of success. 

"How far your advice and assistance have been of help 
to me, you know. How far vour execution of whatever 
has been given you to do, entitles y®u to the reward I am 
receiving, you can not know as well as I. 

"I feel all the gratitude this letter would express, giving 
it the most flattering construction. The w r ord you I use in 
the plural, intending it for McPherson also. I would 
write to him, and will some day ; but, starting in the 
morning, I do not know that I will find time just now. 

"Your friend, 

"U. S. Grant." 

This letter was forwarded to General Sherman, at .Mem- 
phis. His reply, on the 10th of March, is so noble, and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 249 

so beautifully reflects the friendship existing between these 
illustrious men, that we can not refrain from giving it 
entire : 

"Dear General: I have your more than kind and 
characteristic letter of the 4th instant. I will send a copy 
to General McPherson at once. 

"You do yourself injustice, and us too much honor, in 
assigning to us too large a share of the merits which have 
led to your high advancement. I know you approve the 
friendship I have ever proffered to you, and will permit 
me to continue, as heretofore, to manifest it on all proper 
occasions. 

" You are now Washington's legitimate successor, and 
occupy a position of almost dangerous elevation ; but if you 
can continue, as heretofore, to be yourself — simple, honest, 
and unpretending — you will enjoy through life the respect 
and love of friends, and the homage of millions of human 
beings, who will award you a large share in securing to 
them and their descendants a government of law and sta- 
bility. 

"I repeat, you do General McPherson and myself too 
much honor. At Belmont you manifested your traits, 
neither of us being near. At Donelson, also, you illustrated 
your whole character. I was not near, and General Mc- 
Pherson was in too subordinate a capacity to influence you. 

"Until you had won Donelson, I confess I was almost 
cowed by the terrible array of anarchical elements that 
presented themselves at every point ; but that admitted a 
ray of light I have followed since. I believe you are as 
brave, patriotic, and just as the great prototype, Washing- 
ton ; as unselfish, kind-hearted, and honest as a man should 
be ; but the chief characteristic is the simple faith in success 
you have always manifested, which I can liken to nothing 
else than the faith a Christian has in the Savior. 



250 LIFE OF GRANT. 

" This faith gave you the victory at Shiloh and at Vicks- 
burg. Also, when you have completed your best prepara- 
tions, you go into battle without hesitation, as at Chatta- 
nooga — no doubts, no reserves ; and, I tell you, it was this 
which made us act with confidence. 

" My only point of doubt was in your knowledge of grand 
strategy, and of books of science and of history ; but I 
confess your common sense seems to have supplied all these. 

"Now, as to the future. Don't stay in Washington. 
Come West ; take to yourself the whole Mississippi Valley. 
Let us make it dead sure ; and, I tell you, the Atlantic 
slopes and Pacific shores will follow its destiny as surely as 
the limbs of a tree live or die with the main trunk. We 
have done much, but still much remains. Time, and time's 
influence, are with us. We could almost afford to sit still, 
and let these influences work. 

" Here lies the seat of the coming empire ; and from the 
West, when our task is done, we will make short work of 
Charleston and Richmond, and the impoverished coast of 
the Atlantic. "Your sincere friend, 

" W. T. Sherman." 

On the 3d of March, General Grant received a dispatch 
from Washington urging him to hasten his arrival there, 
and assume charge of his new duties. Abbott, in his 
pleasant book, thus records the hero's passage to the 
National Capitol : 

"At every depot crowds were gathered to catch a glimpse 
of one whose achievements were so illustrious, and whose 
name was on all lips. Wherever he appeared, enthusiastic 
cheers greeted him. Upon his arrival in Washington, he 
quietly repaired to Willard's Hotel, and, unobserved, took 
a seat at a table in the dining-room, with his son by his 
side. A gentleman recognized him, and, rising, informed 



LIFE OF GRANT. 251 

the guests that General Ulysses S. Grant sat at the table. 
Simultaneously, and as by an instinctive impulse, all rose ; 
and cheer upon cheer rang through the hall. Many pressed 
around him to take him by the hand ; and the crowd 
immediately became so great that it was with difficulty he 
could make his way to his private apartment. 

" In the evening- he attended the President's levee at the 

o 

White House. Here the enthusiasm which his presence 
created was very great. He engrossed the attention of the 
whole company. The crowd pressed him to an adjacent 
sofa, and lifted him from his feet, until he was compelled to 
stand where all could see him. Such a scene of enthusiasm 
w r as never before witnessed in the presidential mansion. 
President Lincoln, magnanimous, generous, unselfish, whose 
soul was never sullied with a jealous thought, stood by the 
side of Grant, and joined as heartily as any of the company 
with cheer after cheer in tribute to the merits of this great 
and good man. 

"But these ovations were only painful to General Grant. 
He had no taste for pageantry, and his modest nature 
shrank from these displays of admiration and homage. 
Though by no means insensible to manifestations of confi- 
dence and affection, he still wished to avoid them. Upon 
retiring; that night from the levee, he said to a friend: 

" ' I hope to get away from Washington as soon as possi- 
ble, for I am tired of the show-business already.' 

" The next day, March the 9th, was the time appointed 
by President Lincoln for presenting him his commission as 
lieutenant-general. The impressive scene took place in the 
executive chamber, with true republican simplicity. All the 
cabinet were present, and also several other distinguished 
invited guests. President Lincoln rose from his chair, and 
thus addressed him : 

" < General Grant : The nation's approbation of what you 



252 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



have already done, and its reliance on you for what remains 
to do in the existing great struggle, is now presented with 
this commission, constituting you Lieutenant- General of the 
Army of the United States. With this high honor devolves 
on you a corresponding responsibility. As the country 
here intrusts you, so under God it will sustain you. I 
scarcely need add, that with what I here speak for the 
nation, goes my own hearty personal concurrence.' 

" General Grant, taking the commission in his hand, 
replied : 

"'Mr. President: I accept this commission with grati- 
tude for the high honor conferred. With the aid of the 
noble armies who have fought on so many fields for our 
common country, it will be my earnest endeavor not to 
disappoint your expectations. I feel the full weight of the 
responsibility now devolving upon me. I know that, if it 
is properly met, it will be due to these armies, and, above 
all, to the favor of that Providence which leads both nations 
and men.' " 



LIFE OF GRANT. 253 



CHAPTER XIV. 

GRANT IN HIS NEW COMMAND THE REBEL CHIEFTAIN LEE GRANT'S COM- 
BINATIONS — ALL READY TO ADVANCE BATTLES OF THE WILDERNESS 

GALLANTRY OF CRAWFORD— DEATH OF WADSWORTH HANCOCK'S FIGHT- 
ING DEATH OF SEDGWICK BATTLE OF SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE 

CAPTURE OF A REBEL DIVISION AND TWO REBEL GENERALS — BURNSIDE's 

BATTLES — FORWAED ALONG THE WHOLE LINE ANECDOTES OF GRANT 

BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR ORDER OF BATTLE — TERRIBLE FIGHTING 

CROSSING THE JAMES — ASSAULTS ON PETERSBURG — INVESTMENT OF THE 

CITY THE SIEGE BEGUN PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S LETTER TO GRANT — 

GRANT'S REPLY. 

Grant was now to measure swords with the great man 
of the rebellion, Robert E. Lee. McClellan, Pope, Burn- 
side, Hooker, and Meade had all been unable to conquer the 
rebel chief, and thousands feared that even the great soldier 
of the West would fail. 

Quietly looking over the situation, Grant began his com- 
binations for the final campaign in the East. Sending or- 
ders to Steele and Banks to drive the rebels in Louisiana 
and Arkansas into Texas and capture Shreveport, he wrote 
Butler to move up the James and intrench at City Point, 
at the same time he instructed Sigel to send ten thousand 
men under Crook into the Kanawha Valley, and go himself, 
with seven thousand more, up the Shenandoah. This done, 
he consulted with Sherman, and the great campaign in the 
West was organized that resulted in the brilliant "march to 
the sea." 

Already the ponderous machinery of war was in motion, 



254 LIFE OF GRANT. 

under the direction of the master-mind of Grant, and the 
coil of iron was tightening around the doomed Confederacy. 
Hastening to the army of the Potomac, he reorganized it. 
The number of army corps were reduced to three : the 
Second, under command of Major-General Winfield S. Han- 
cock; the Fifth, under command of Major-General G. W. 
Warren ; and the Sixth, under command of General Sedg- 
wick. On the fourth of April, 1864, Major-General Sheridan 
was placed in command of the cavalry corps. Division 
officers were also re-assigned. 

All was now prepared, and the great General stood on 
the hanks of the Rapidan, bugle in hand, ready to sound 
the "onward" into the bowels of the Confederacy. When 
at length, on the 3d of May, the advance was blown and 
the army crossed the Rubicon, the whole nation stood still, 
and with breathless anxietv awaited the result. Nor had 
they long to wait, for soon the terrible news that three 
hundred thousand men were fighting came up from the 
Wilderness and blanched every cheek in the nation. 

The contest began on the 5th and extended for five miles, 
over hills, through forests, and down deep and dark ravines. 
Warren, with Wadsworth's and Griffin's divisions, drove 
Ewell steadily back, until exhausted and bleeding, the troops 
halted and waited for the Sixth Corps to come up. But the 
tangled wilderness and impassable roads delayed the relief, 
and the rebels in turn assaulted. Wadsworth was forced 
back, and for a time the gallant Crawford, on Wadsworth's 
left, was isolated. Bravely he held his position, fighting 
against all odds, until the ground was strewn with his dead 
and dying; still he would not yield, but fought his way out, 
although with fearful loss. Getty, rapid and brave, at- 
tacked Hill on the Orange plank road, and poured volley 
after volley into the enemy, declaring he would hold his 
position until Hancock could come up to his relief. The 



LIFE OF GRANT. 255 

rebels Johnson, Jones, Stuart, Rhodes, Daniel, and Gordon 
now in turn attack Warren, and the Union troops yield 
ground stubbornly, covering every foot given up with their 
dead. The battle is spreading, and over there the guns of 
the Sixth Corps can be heard beating through the tangled 
thicket. Hancock, too, is coming up on the left, and Hill 
and Longstreet are marching to meet him. The rebels 
Heth, Wilcox, and Anderson are already in action, and 
soon the battle rages furiously. Men are shot down by un- 
seen enemies, and the lines reel backward and forward 
like drunken men. The rebel Jones lies dead with his aids, 
and our gallant General Hays falls, pierced by a ball while 
leading his men in the thickest of the fight. The sun goes 
down in the west, and as darkness creeps over the earth, 
the noise of the combat dies way in the groans of the wounded 
and dying. Six thousand men, struck down by the missiles 
of war are stretched upon that battle-field. The grim chief- 
tain sits upon his horse, surveying the scene, and as the knives 
of the surgeons begin to reek with the blood of the wounded, 
he says, " It is well ; to-morrow we shall renew the attack," 
and then rides away to prepare for another day of blood. 
Yet his heart is heavy and sad, and while the tired soldiers 
sleep, he sits all night long in front of his tent awake, think- 
ing of the morrow. 

Slowly the gray mists are rising, and the red streamers 
in the east proclaim the morning. Already the cracking 
noise, like the breaking of dry sticks, tells us the skirmish- 
ers are at work in the woods, and at 5 o'clock loud crashes 
of musketry are heard. The smoke curls over the tree-tops 
in Getty's and Wadsworth's front, and now it spreads away 
to the right and left. The sun comes up in an unclouded 
sky, and a hundred thousand rebels are again on the move. 
Instantly the roar of battle runs along the lines. Assault 
after assault is made by the rebels, now upon this point and 



256 LIFE OF GRANT. 

now upon that; but each is unavailing. Though the Union 
line at times bends before the storm and sways to and fro, 
and the ravines and hill-sides are crimsoned with blood and 
strewed with the dead, the Stars and Stripes gradually ad- 
vance upon the infuriated foe. General Hancock drives a 
portion of the rebels more than two miles before him. On 
this day the noble General Wadsworth fell, and the whole 
nation mourned his loss. A bullet struck him on the head, 
and Jie dropped senseless, mortally wounded. There are few 
names which can stand so high upon the American roll of 
honor as that of James S. Wadsw r orth. Accursed be that 
rebellion which has thus robbed our nation of so many of 
the noblest of her sons ! 

Twice Hancock was driven back to his breastworks, and 
once the rebels had so far succeeded as to plant their colors 
on his field-works, but the stay w T as short. The conflict was 
now terrific. Such fighting as Hancock did that day, for 
bravery, could never have been surpassed. Back and forth 
— first charged and then charging — until hundreds of the dead 
bodies of Union and rebel soldiers lay side by side in their 
last sleep. 

At lastBurnside, with the Ninth Corps, came to his relief, 
when he was allow T ed a breathing spell. Later in the day, 
Sedgwick's hour of trial came. In the forenoon they made 
a desperate effort to turn Grant's left, and now, in the after- 
noon, they revived the effort on the extreme right. A. P. 
Hill was commanding the enemy, and two of the Union 
brigades, on the extreme right, commanded by Seymour and 
Staler, were swallowed up by the impetuous charge of the 
yelling rebels. They almost caused a route in this part of 
the army, but Sedgwick, bold and ever brave, took advantage 
of the reflux, which always follows the first impetus of a 
charge, and formed the corps and drove the enemy beyond his 
breastworks, and plucked safety, if not victory, out of danger. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 257 

The teamsters and straggling soldiers who had been watch- 
ing this fearful conflict from a safe distance, just as night set* 
in, commenced a stampede. This wild scene lasted about one 
hour and a half, when it was checked by the iron hand of 
military law. 

All the day long the battle raged until darkness came. 
Our loss in killed, wounded, and missing was estimated at 
over ten thousand men. The rebel loss probably was not 
less. What imagination can gauge the dimensions of such 
a woe ! The wail of agony or the cry of death which rose 
from that bloody field was reechoed and intensified in twenty 
thousand distant homes. 

In the morning the rebels were gone. Lee, in the 
night had retreated toward Spottsylvania Court-house. 
Grant, during the whole of the two days' fighting, had been 
on the battle-field. Most of the time he was on a piny 
knoll, with Meade, just in rear of Warren. Those who ob- 
served him during the actions were struck with his unpre- 
tending appearance and his imperturbable manner. Neither 
danger nor responsibility seemed to affect him ; but he 
seemed, at times, lost in thought, and occasionally, on the 
receipt of information, would mount his horse and gallop off 
to the point where he was needed, to return with equal speed 
to his post of observation. 

The pursuit was at once ordered, and Burnside and Sedg- 
wick marched for Spottsylvania, On the morning of the 7th 
of May the fighting was renewed, and continued until the 
13th. Friday, Warren's Fifth Corps was marching South- 
ward, by the Brock road, followed by Hancock's second, 
through Todd's Tavern, and Burnside's ninth, by way of 
Piny Branch Church. The cavalry, under dashing Phil. 
Sheridan, had been fighting near Todd's Tavern, and was 
now riding on the heels of the beaten enemy. 

It was Sunday, and the troops were drawn up in battle 
17 



258 LIFE OF GRANT. 

array two miles north of Spottsylvania Court-house. They 
had marched fifteen miles since Saturday noon. The rebels 
had taken possession of intrenchments previously prepared, 
and were every moment adding to the strength of these 
earth-works. General Grant commenced a furious onset upon 
them, that they might not have time to add to their defenses, 
and to recover from the confusion of their retreat. 

All the day long the roar of battle continued, until dark- 
ness enveloped the scene. Both parties fought with equal 
desperation. The Union soldiers, however, though with 
very severe loss, drove the rebels out of their first line of in- 
trenchments, and took twenty-five hundred prisoners. 

Another night came; and again these panting, bleeding 
armies threw themselves upon the ground for such repose as 
could be found amidst the dying and the dead. Both parties 
were in the extreme of exhaustion. For five days and 
nights they had been almost incessantly engaged in fighting 
or marching. But General Grant, the tireless leader of the 
patriot host, allowed his guilty foe no repose. 

With the early light he opened upon the rebels a harassing 
fire from his batteries, while his skirmishers and sharpshoot- 
ers annoyed them at every available point. General Sedg- 
wick was in the front of the extreme right of his corps, with 
a few of his staff, superintending the posting of some guns. 
An occasional shot from a sharpshooter whistled, with elon- 
gated sound, about the group, causing some of the men to 
wince. The General joked them about their nervousness, 
saying, "Pooh, men, they can't hit an elephant at that dis- 
tance." The words had scarcely passed his lips, when a ball 
pierced his face, just below the left eye, and with a serene 
smile, as if connected with his last words, he fell, the blood 
streaming from his nostrils. He died immediately, as he 
would have asked to die if he could have chosen the manner 
of his death. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 259 

It was now the afternoon of the 10th day of May, and the 
fifth day of the fighting. Colonel Upton, with the Second 
Brigade of the Sixth Corps, First Division, and D. A. Rus- 
sell, with the Third Division had just made a memorable 
charge upon the enemy at Spottsylvania Court-house. The 
men sprang over the enemy's works, took upward of a 
thousand prisoners and several cannon, and only retired, 
being obliged to abandon the captured artillery, because 
they were so far in advance as to make the position perilous, 
and were not supported by Mott on their left. Mott, how- 
ever, succeeded in forming connection with the Ninth Corps, 
which had now moved to the left from the Fredericksburg 
road. 

Although the carnage had been so great as to make the 
losses on our side not far from ten thousand, and the rebels 
not much less, the battle was indecisive. Again had the 
rival generals divided each other's purposes, and terrible 
shocks had been the result. Thus ended the first day of the 
battle of Spottsylvania Court-house, and the troops rested 
on their arms, feeling sure that a struggle as desperate 
awaited them on the morrow, or, at least, at a very early 
time. 

The morning of Wednesday, the 11th, rose bright and 
clear, and the closeness of contact of the two armies caused 
desultory fighting at many points, but no general engage- 
ment. We had lost very heavily, probably at least thirty- 
five thousand men, since the beginning of the campaign ; 
but we had taken many prisoners, had inflicted terrible 
losses upon the enemy, and reinforcements were rapidly 
pushing forward to us — among the material of which, it is a 
significant fact that there were heavy artillery trains, de- 
signed for siege service at Richmond. 

It was on the 11th that Grant sent to the War Depart- 
ment his celebrated dispatch: 



260 LIFE OF GRANT. 

"Head-quarters in the Field, May 11, 1864 — 8 A. M. 

" We have now ended the sixth day of very heavy fight- 
ing. The result, to this time, is much in our favor. 

" Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the 
enemy. I think the loss of the enemy must be greater. 

"We have taken over five thousand prisoners by battle, 
while he has taken from us but few, except stragglers. 

" I PROPOSE TO FIGHT IT OUT ON THIS LINE, IF IT TAKES ALL 
SUMMER. 

' "U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General, 

"Commanding the Armies of the United States." 

Lee had sent a flag of truce, asking forty-eight hours' 
cessation of hostilities, that he might bury his dead. Grant 
had replied : " I have no time to bury my own dead, but 
propose an immediate advance." With this reply he pushed 
forward, his advanced lines shelling the woods, but no 
response was met from where the enemy's center had been 
a few hours before. 

Certain now that victory was within his grasp, he ordered 
General Hancock to move during the night close up to the 
intrenchments, held by the rebel General EwelPs corps. 
Slowly and surely Hancock's men crept forward, and at 
dawn they were close upon the sleeping and unsuspecting 
enemy. At the proper moment the order to charge was 
given, and with a loud yell Hancock's men leaped over the 
rebel intrenchments, and with the butts of their muskets 
(the quarters were too close to fire) commenced to slay 
the enemy right and left. They were surrounded, cornered, 
and dumbfounded, and when they were commanded to 
surrender, they dropped their arms and became prisoners 
of war. Even the artillery had not time to limber up, get 
away, or fire one single volley. The General — E. Johnson 



LIFE OF GRANT. 2G1 

— whose head-quarters was somewhat to the rear, had no 
time to escape. In making this memorable and brilliant 
charge, the Union troops moved over a rugged and densely 
wooded space, but so silent and swift had been their advance 
that the rebels, who were at breakfast, knew nothing Of their 
approach until they heard the cheers of the blue jackets, 
and rushed out only in time to see them climbing over their 
breastworks. The captures were Edward Johnson's entire 
division, with its general ; two brigades of other troops, with 
their commander, Brigadier-General George H. Stuart ; and 
thirty guns. The number of prisoners taken was between 
three and four thousand. It was the most decided success 
yet achieved during the campaign. When Hancock heard 
that these generals were taken, he directed that they should 
be brought to him. Offering his hand to Johnson, that 
officer was so affected as to shed tears, declaring that he 
would have preferred death to captivity. He then extended 
his hand to Stuart, whom he had known before, saying, 
"How are you Stuart?" but the* rebel, with great haughti- 
ness, replied, " I am General Stuart, of the Confederate 
army ; and, under present circumstances, I decline to take 
your hand." Hancock's cool and dignified reply was : 
"And under any other circumstances, general, I should not 
have offered it." 

Hancock dispatched Grant : 

" I have captured from thirty to forty guns. I have 
finished up Johnson, and am now going into Early." 

The great machinery of war, in Grant's hands, was now 
fairly at work. News came that Sherman was moving by 
the flank around Johnston at Dalton, and that the place 
was being evacuated. Butler was defeating the rebels on 
the south side of the James, and Sheridan, with his cavalry, 
was destroying the railroad bridge over the Chickahominy 
River, fighting battles with the rebel cavalry at Yellow 



262 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Tavern, and charging down Brock road to the enemy's 
works on that side of Richmond. 

On the 13th of May, Burnside, with the Ninth Corps, 
lay across the pike leading from Spottsylvania Court-house 
to Fredericksburg, about two miles from the former place ; 
here he had a severe engagement with A. P. Hill. Al- 
though Burnside moved early to the attack, he found the 
rebels over a mile in front of their works waiting for him ; 
the fight commenced, and the rebels were soon pushed 
back into their first line of fortifications, and then forced to 
take refuse in their main line of intrenchments. Burnside 
renewed the attack in the afternoon, but a flanking brigade 
of rebels captured a portion of the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania, 
One Hundred and Ninth New York, and the Seventeenth 
Michigan regiments. Burnside gained a better position 
than he had at the commencement of the fight, but with a 
loss of near three thousand men. The roads were very 
bad, and it was difficult to move, and little was done until 
Lee, weary and disheartened, showed signs of attempting a 
retreat. On the 18th, Grant renewed the attack; the 
assault was commenced early, but the rebels were not again 
to be found napping; by this move Grant soon discovered 
the enemy strongly posted behind breastworks. On the 
19th, Ewell's corps made an attempt to turn Grant's right, 
but was severely punished by Birney and Tyler's divisions. 
Grant had now received about twenty-five thousand splendid 
fresh troops, forwarded to him to make up for his losses 
during the terrific battles on the Rapidan. On the 20th of 
May, he, by the flanking process, compelled Lee to abandon 
his strong works at Spottsylvania Court-house, the rebels 
retreating toward Richmond, Grant's army in pursuit. 
Falling behind the North Anna River, Lee took up another 
strong position ; by marching the Fifth and Sixth Corps by 
way of Harris' Store to Jericho Ford, the Sixth Corps 



LIFE OF GRANT. 263 

crossing, Lee was again flanked, and compelled to abandon 
his strong position on the North Anna, and fell back to the 
South Anna River. Here Lee's position was discovered to 
be one of great strength, and Grant deeming it only a waste 
of life to make an assault, rccrossed the North Anna River, 
moving his army in the direction of Hanover Junction. 
Thus outgeneraling and flanking Lee's position on the 
South Anna, he forced him again to abandon his elaborately 
constructed fortifications. By these master strategic move- 
ments, it became evident to all the corps and division com- 
manders in Grant's army that he had outmaneuvered Lee, 
and drove him from all his positions, using him merely as 
his mouth-piece, as he had previously used Bragg at Chatta- 
nooga. It could be seen by all that it was Grant, and not 
Lee, that was commanding the rebel army. General Sheri- 
dan, with his cavalry, had taken possession of the Hanover 
Ferry, and all points designated for bringing the army over 
the Pamunkey River, and by the 29th, Grant's entire force 
was across and encamped in a fertile country only fifteen 
miles from Richmond. By this great move he turned all 
Lee's works on the Little River and the South Anna, avoid- 
ing the hazard of crossing these strongly defended streams ; 
by this strategy he became master of the situation with 
regard to his new base of supplies, and he was now left to 
choose his own route to the rebel capitol, and all this had 
been accomplished in twenty-four days from the day he 
struck tents at Culpepper Court-house, without leaving, as 
previous commanders did, one-fourth of his army behind 
for the defense of the capitol — he was now master of the 
peninsula without having uncovered Washington for a 
single hour. 

During Grant's advance, a gentleman, who was a warm 
friend of the General, called upon him one morning, and 
found him in his tent talking to one of his staff officers. 



264 LIFE OF GRANT 

"General," said the friend, "if you flank Lee, and get 
between him and Richmond, will you not uncover Wash- 
ington, and leave it exposed to the enemy I" " Yes, I 
reckon so," was General Grant's taciturn and quiet reply. 
"Do you not think, General," the friend continued, "that 
Lee can detach sufficient force to reenforce Beauregard at 
Richmond, and overwhelm Butler?" "I have not a doubt 
of it," Grant replied. "And is there not danger," the 
friend added, "that Johnston may come up and reenforce 
Lee, so that the latter will swing round and cut off your 
communications and seize your supplies?" "Very likely," 
was the unconcerned reply. His friend looked at him in 
surprise, and anxiously inquired : " What, then, are you 
going to do?" "Beat them," was Grant's quiet response. 

While conversing with several officers on the subject of 
the capture of Richmond, the question was asked : " Can it 
be taken?" "With ease," General Grant replied. "By 
the Peninsula?" the inquirer asked. "No," said the Gen- 
eral. " I shall want two large armies — one to move 
directly on Lee ; and the other to land at City Point, and 
cut communications to the southward. Lee would be then 
compelled to fall back ; and the army from the north could 
press, and, if possible, defeat him. 

" If he would open up communications again with the 
Cotton States, he must fight the army south of the James ; 
and, to do this, he must cross his whole force — otherwise he 
would be defeated in detail. If he did so cross, the Northern 
army could take Richmond. If he did not, that from the 
south could move up to the heights south of the James, and 
shell and destroy the city." 

Our losses, in the battles of the Wilderness, were about 
fifteen thousand men. Our losses from the 12th of May to the 
21st, were as follows : Killed, one hundred and fourteen offi- 
cers and two thousand and thirty-two enlisted men ; wounded, 



LIFE OF GRANT. 265 

two hundred and fifty-nine officers and seven thousand six 
hundred and ninety-seven men ; missing, thirty-one officers 
and two hundred and forty-eight men; total, ten thousand 
three hundred and eighty-one. Our losses from the 21st to 
the 31st of May, were: Killed, twelve officers and one 
hundred and thirty-three enlisted men ; wounded, sixty-seven 
officers and one thousand and sixty-three men ; missing, 
three officers and three hundred and twenty-four men ; 
total, one thousand six hundred and seven. 

The month of June opened with the battle at Cold Har- 
bor. On Thursday, June 2d, our line of battle extended 
from Cold Harbor to Bethesda Church. Hancock, on the 
left, occupied Cold Harbor; the Sixth Corps was on his 
right, and then, in order, the Eighteenth and Fifth, while 
Burnside, with the Ninth, had the extreme right at Bethesda 
Church. 

On Friday, June 3d, a new movement was begun, at four 
o'clock in the morning, and resulted in one of the most ter- 
rible and hardly-contested battles of the war. Before mak- 
ing a new advance by the left flank, Grant determined 
again to try the strength of the enemy, and had issued or- 
ders that an assault should be made upon him along the 
whole line. At the specified time, all moved forward with 
varying fortune. Hancock, on our left, advanced, with the 
divisions of Gibbon and Barlow, up the slope in his front, 
which was swept by a terrible artillery fire. So vigorous 
was this attack, that the enemy w T as pushed out of his works, 
and thrown back upon his second line. But here he rallied, 
threw in a fearful enfilading fire upon our advance, and in 
turn drove it out in hot haste to seek shelter from the iron 
storm ; but not so rapidly as not to take with it three hun- 
dred prisoners and one color. Not content with this, how- 
ever, the enemy attacked our lines furiously again and 
again, but were repulsed. 



266 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Quite similar to this was the fortune of the attack made 
by our center, under Smith and Wright. They also carried 
the works in their front by a splendid charge, but were 
driven out by the enemy, and forced to throw up intrench- 
ments near his works. As the enemy had massed heavily 
on our left and left center, the principal fighting was in 
front of these corps, and when it was found that we could 
not drive him from his intrenchments, offensive operations 
ceased at about eleven o'clock. 

The fighting in front of Warren and Burnside was unim- 
portant ; but Burnside reported that he had carried an ad- 
vanced line in his front. During the entire day the enemy 
made wild charges against our lines, which were never suc- 
cessful in breaking them. 

On our extreme right, Wilson had been posted with the 
Third Cavalry Division, and there he came in contact with 
the cavalry of Wade Hampton, which he drove away. 
There, too, he fell upon an infantry brigade of Heth's di- 
vision, which had been sent to envelop Burnside. He drove 
this force back, and took from it a number of prisoners. 

It would require a volume faithfully to describe the 
varied events of this one battle, or rather this series of 
battles, in which three hundred thousand men, along a line 
several miles in extent, struggled in the deadly conflict, all 
day long, with almost superhuman energies. Clouds of 
cavalry swept over the plain. Batteries were lost and bat- 
teries were won. There were successful charges, and the 
cheer of victory rose over the thunderings of war's tempest. 
And there was the repulse when the shout of the victors 
faded away into the wail of death. Night came, and the 
battle ceased. The carnage on both sides had been severe. 
In counting up our losses, it appeared that seven thousand 
were numbered among the killed, the wounded, and the 
missing. Though we gained several important positions, 



LIFE OF GRANT. 267 

and made a decided advance, it was evident that the rebels 
were so firmly intrenched that they could not be driven 
from their works, except at too great a sacrifice of the lives 
of our brave soldiers. 

On Sunday morning, June 12th, Grant began to with- 
draw his army, and prepare to cross the James River, at 
Wilcox Wharf and Powhattan Point. By Sunday night, 
the troops were in position for crossing the James River 
in thirty hours, and in six hours more the entire army, with 
scarcely the loss of a man, was landed on the south side 
of the James River. On Wednesday, General Smith com- 
menced an attack on Petersburg. Several efforts were made 
to carry the place by assault, but Grant was convinced that 
the Cockade City could only be captured by a protracted 
siege. General Wilson, with six thousand picked troops, 
was sent to destroy the Weldon and Southside railroads; 
the former was struck at Ream's Station, and the latter at 
Ford's Station, and some sixty miles of track, together with 
bridges, cars, and locomotives were destroyed. General 
Wright, with the Sixth Corps, cooperated with Wilson, by 
moving on the Weldon road beloAV Petersburg, and destroy- 
ing about five miles of track. Lee, becoming worried and 
disheartened, thought to divert Grant from his well-settled 
purpose, sent Breckinridge on a raid against Washington; 
but Grant could not be induced to withdraw his army from 
the James. Breckinridge went and made the feint, and 
was defeated, leaving 500 of his men killed and wounded 
under the guns of Fort Stephen. 

Grant had begun the investment of Petersburg in earnest, 
and his wearied troops, for the first time in two months, 
got some rest. The fighting had been almost continuous, 
and over seventy thousand men and officers had been lost. 
Of officers alone, six hundred had been killed, more than 
two thousand wounded, and three hundred and fifty were 



268 LIFE OF GRANT. 

missing. Brigades were commanded by majors and regi- 
ments by captains, all the senior officers having been killed, 
wounded, or captured, Reinforcements were pouring in 
upon him, but Grant felt he had reached that point where 
the siege should take the place of battles in the field. 
The President had written General Grant to Bay : 

"Lieutenant-General Grant: Not expecting to see 
you before the spring campaign opens, I wish to express, 
in this, my entire satisfaction with what you have done up 
to this time, so far as I understand it. The particulars of 
your plans I neither know nor seek to know. You are 
vigilant and self-reliant; and, pleased with this, I wish not 
to obtrude any restraints or constraints upon you. While 
I am very anxious that any great disaster or capture of 
our men in great numbers shall be avoided, I know that 
these points are less likely to escape your attention than 
they would be mine. If there be any thing wanting which 
it is within my power to give, do not fail to let me know it. 

"And now, with a brave army and a just cause, may 
God sustain you. 

"Yours very truly, 

"A. Lincoln." 

General Grant had immediately replied: 

"The President: Your very kind letter of yesterday is 
just received. The confidence you express for the future, 
and satisfaction for the past, in my military administra- 
tion, is acknowledged with pride. It shall be my earnest 
endeavor that you and the country shall not be disappoint- 
ed. From my first entrance into the volunteer service of 
the country to the present day, I have never had cause of 
complaint, have never expressed or implied complaint against 
the administration, or the Secretary of War, for throwing 



LIFE OF GRANT. 269 

any embarrassment in the way of my vigorously prosecuting 
what appeared to be my duty. 

"Indeed, since the promotion which placed me in com- 
mand of all the armies, and in view of the great responsi- 
bility and importance of success, I have been astonished at 
the readiness with which every thing asked for has been 
yielded, without even an explanation being asked. Should 
my success be less than I desire and expect, the least I 
can say is, the fault is not with you. 

" Very truly your obedient servant, 

" U. S. Grant." 



270 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER XV. 

sigel relieved hunter in the valley battle on north river- 
brilliant success of hunter his defeat near lynchburg sher- 
idan at deep bottom — he marches to "within twelve miles of 
richmond — colonel pleasants' mine — the explosion — success of 

the mine failure of the troops fighting in the crater early's 

advance on washington gregg's attack on the "weldon rail- 
road heavy fighting — sheridan in the valley — battle of ope- 

quan defeat of sheridan's forces by early sheridan's ride 

he regains the battle — grants praise of sheridan — the presi- 
dent's letter to him he is made a major-general in the regular 

army — Sherman's march to the sea. 

Grant was now drawing his lines around Petersburg. 
Sigel had been relieved in the Shenandoah Valley, and 
Hunter, who had been assigned in his place, was beating up 
the enemy's quarters at Piedmont. Grant wrote Halleck, 
May 20th : 

" The enemy are evidently relying for supplies greatly on 
such as are brought over the branch road running through 
Staunton. On the whole, therefore, I think it would be 
better for General Hunter to move in that direction; reach 
Staunton and Gordonsville, if he does not meet too much 
opposition. If he can hold in it a force equal to his own, 
he* will be doing good service." 

Again, on the 25th, he writes Halleck: "If Hunter can 
possibly get to Charlottesville and Lynchburg, he should do 
so — living on the country. The railroads and canals should 



LIFE OF GRANT. 271 

be destroyed beyond the possibility of repair for weeks. 
Completing this, he could find his way back to his original 
base, or, from about Gordonsville, join this army." 

Hunter fought a battle with the rebel Jones on North 
River, in which he defeated Jones, and captured fifteen 
hundred prisoners, three cannon, and three hundred stand 
of arms. The battle lasted ten hours, and the rebel com- 
mander was left dead on the field. He pushed on through 
White Sulphur Springs to Gaston Depot, on the Virginia 
Railroad, which he destroyed. He then marched to Lynch- 
burg, near which place he was defeated, and compelled to 
retreat to the Kanawha. 

Meantime, Grant was pushing forward his works at Pe- 
tersburg. On the 26th of June, he made a diversion by 
sending Sheridan, with part of the Second Corps, and two 
divisions of cavalry, across the James to Deep Bottom, to 
operate in conjunction with Butler's army and threaten the 
enemy. On the 28th, he extended his lines across to New 
Market and Long Bridge road. Lee, alarmed at these 
movements, sent large bodies of troops to meet Grant's de- 
tached forces, and some hard fighting took place. 

On the 26th of July, Sheridan, who had crossed the 
Appottomax at Point of Bocks, pushed forward to the 
James, and crossed it at Jones' Neck. He then marched 
to within twelve miles of Richmond, where he found a rebel 
camp which he charged, scattering the rebels right and left, 
and capturing their intrenchments and cannon. 

Colonel Pleasants, of the Forty-eighth Pennsylvania, had 
been at work for a month on a mine, which he completed 
on the 23d of July. This gallant and skillful officer had, 
without mining tools, in the face of all opposition and dis- 
couragements, persevered until he brought his mine to a 
successful conclusion. On the 30th, the troops were drawn 
up to see the mine explode. Burnside was in front of the 



272 LIFE OF GRANT. 

work with orders to assault. Warren was on his left, and 
Ord on the right. 

At half-past three o'clock in the morning, the match was 
applied, but the mine did not explode. Pleasants knew in 
a moment the difficulty. He had been obliged to use a 
spliced fuse, instead of a whole one, or, indeed, two or three 
fuses, and it had stopped burning at the splice. Two brave 
men of the regiment, who believed in the mine, and who 
had toiled at it night and day under Pleasants, volunteered 
for the dangerous service to go in and relight it. These 
were Lieutenant Jacob Douty, and Sergeant Harry Reese. 
They go along the gallery one hundred feet before they 
reach the point where the fire stopped. Again, at ten min- 
utes before five, the insidious flame travels to its destined 
goal. Generals Grant and Meade are at the front. " It 
lacks a minute," said Pleasants. "Not a second," said 
Douty, "for there she goes!" A quiver, which becomes 
an earthquake tremor — and then, with a tremendous burst, 
a conical mountain rises in the air, streaked and seamed 
with lightning flashes. The vast mass is momentarily poised ; 
and as it thus hangs in air, discloses timber, planking, 
earth, bodies, and limbs of men, and even one or two of the 
sixteen guns in the work. It is known that the work was 
occupied by portions of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and 
Twenty-second South Carolina regiments, under Colonel 
Fleming. Except the guard, the garrison was asleep. One 
instant of awakening, and then the crashing death. Rocks, 
timbers, earth, guns, and men were thrown, in a vast spread- 
ing column, one hundred and fifty feet into the air. These 
were all enveloped in heavy folds of billowy smoke, which, 
wrapped in its funeral pall, blended with the debris, the 
mangled forms of two hundred men. 

For a moment there was a pause, as all eyes regarded 
the gigantic apparition. The next moment a hundred guns 



LIFE OF GRANT. 273 

opened their roar, and in rapid fire hurled round-shot and 
shell in and upon the rebel works. For miles upon miles 
the resounding thunder rolled. As the vast column thrown 
into the air fell in wide-spread and indescribable ruin, an 
immense chasm appeared, several hundred feet long, fifty 
feet wide, and twenty feet deep. 

Thus far the mine had been a triumphant success. For 
some cause, not easily explained, the charging column, after 
a delay of ten minutes — when seconds were of priceless 
value — rushed into the gap, and there halted, and com- 
menced throwing up intrenchments. The important point 
to be gained was the crest of Cemetery Hill, four hundred 
yards beyond. 

Ledlie still halted in the excavation. "Wilcox and Potter 
soon followed him, and the three divisions became inter- 
mixed, and general confusion prevailed. An hour of pre- 
cious time was lost. Ledlie made no attempt to move in 
or out, and Potter and Wilcox could not go forward while 
he blocked the way. , 

The delay was fatal. The rebels concentrated their fire 
on the crater where the troops were massed, and the place 
became a slaughter pen. The troops retreated as best they 
could, but our loss was very heavy. Killed, forty-seven 
officers, and three hundred and v seventy-two enlisted men; 
wounded, one hundred and twenty-four officers, one thou- 
sand five hundred and fifty-five men; missing, ninety-one 
officers, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen men ; 
total, four thousand and three. 

Grant was greatly disappointed at the failure of the mine, 
but continued to push the siege with renewed vigor. 

Lee had sent Early, with a corps to threaten Washing- 
ton, and on the 10th of July, Early's cavalry advance was 
reported at Rockville. Grant had detached Wright, with a 
part of the Sixth Corps, and dispatched him to the defense 
18 



274 LIFE OF GRANT. 

of the National Capitol. On the 18th of August, Grant 
sent Gregg, with a division of cavalry, to seize and destroy 
the Weldon Railroad, in Lee's rear. Lee, hearing of the 
move, sent an overwhelming force to protect the road, which, 
coming to the cars of Grant, lie in turn sent down the Fifth 
Corps to the support of Gregg. A desperate action took 
place, and the rebels were on the point of obtaining a vic- 
tory, when the Ninth Corps came up and turned the tide in 
favor of the Union arms. 

The battle was fought on Friday, and the next day, Sat- 
urday, the rebels were so exhausted they could not renew 
the contest, but having received large reinforcements, on 
Sunday morning they fiercely attacked our troops, but were 
repulsed. On Monday, the battle was begun again. Speak- 
ing of this day's action, Abbott says : 

"Again their charging lines melted away before the awful 
storm of grape and canister belched from our ramparts. 
Tuesday, these desperate men, with renovated numbers, 
marched forth again to the assault; and ngain, torn and 
broken, they retreated, leaving the ground covered with 
their slain. V\ r e had gained the Weldon road, two and a 
half miles from Petersburg, and all the powers of rebeldom 
could not force General Grant to relinquish his hold. The 
loss of the road was a terrible calamity to General Lee. 
It cut off so important a line for supplies and recruits as to 
forebode the destruction of his army, Lee therefore re- 
solved to make another attempt, with all his available 
strength, to regain the road. He concentrated an immense 
force, gathered from every point of his encampment from 
which troops could be spared, and massed them in heavy 
columns concealed in the forest. 

"At a given signal they all rushed upon our lines, leaped 
over our breastworks, and engaged in a hand-to-hand fight. 






LIFE OF GRANT. 275 

The struggle on both sides was marked with a, desperation 
which had not been surpassed during the war. 

" The carnage was dreadful. Our troops fought desperately 
against these overpowering numbers. Though they lost two 
thousand prisoners, and a thousand in killed and wounded, 
they still held their position during the day. When night 
came, they fell back a few miles along the railroad to a still 
stronger position, where they could defy all the efforts of 
the enemy to dislodge them." 

The loss of the Weldon Railroad was indeed a severe blow 
to Lee, but despite his efforts to regain it, our troops con- 
tinued to hold it. 

SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY. 

Grant, with that sagacity which always enabled him to 
put the right man in the right place, after the many fail- 
ures in the Shenandoah, determined to send Sheridan to the 
command there. Grant himself says he never gave Sheridan 
any instructions but two words, "Go in." He asked Sher- 
idan if he could go on Tuesday; Phil, replied, "yes, on 
Monday,'' and in fact was off before daylight. 

On the 19th, he attacked Early at Opequan, and defeat- 
ing him, drove him through Winchester. Sheridan wrote: 
"Fought Early all day, whipped him at five o'clock, and 
took five guns and about five thousand prisoners. Early is 
whirling up the Valley, leaving three thousand killed and 
wounded on the field. Fitzhugh Lee and two other of 
Early's generals killed and four reported w r ounded. Push- 
ing vigorously." What a volume is contained in those six 
lines. Glorious, great, gallant little Phil. Sheridan, the 
Murat of America. 

Early having failed, Lee sent Rosser to try his hand on 
Sheridan, but in the first fight, Rosser was attacked in front, 
flank, and rear, lost all his ambulances, caissons, supplies, 



276 LIFE OE GRANT. 

and wagons, and went flying back to Richmond, while "the 
mad Union General" eat up Rosser's preserves and good 
things, and then marched to Cedar Creek, to devour Long- 
street, who had been sent out to reenforee Early. 

Rapidly crossing the mountains, Longstreet forded the 
North Fork, and creeping along the front of Crook's corps, 
aided by the darkness and fog, he drew up, unobserved, in 
battle array within a few hundred yards of our lines. 
Sheridan was absent and the rebels knew it. 

Springing upon our lines with the yells of demons, our 
sleeping troops were cut to pieces, and, bewildered, fled, 
leaving guns, tents, and wagons in the hands of the enemy. 
It was a brilliant feat, skillfully conceived and daringly ex- 
ecuted. But the master mind was not there, else it had 
been different. Sheridan was at Winchester, twenty miles 
away, but hearing the faint booming of his cannon, he sprang 
upon his horse and rode away like the wind in the direction 
of the ominous sound. A courier met him to tell him all 
was lost, but burying the rowels in the flanks of his pant- 
ing steed, and lashing his withers with the reins, he rode 
madly on. Presently he met a mass of defeated soldiers, 
coatless, hatless, shoeless, running down the road. "Halt! " 
shouted Sheridan; "face the other way, boys, we are going 
back." The sight of that horseman, swinging his hat around 
his head, put new courage into the defeated men. Long 
and loud rose the cry, "Sheridan is here! Sheridan has 
come!" and as the thousands heard that magic name, they 
halted, loaded their guns, and faced to the foe. The army 
was in confusion. It had lost confidence in itself. But 
the presence of Sheridan inspired all with a new hope. 
The change was like magic. 

Pushing forward past the stragglers, who at once began 
to rally, he reached the main body, repeating his fiery 
words. "Boys," he added, "if I had been here, this never 



LIFE OF GRANT. 277 

should have happened; we are going back." Arranging 
and strengthening his lines while the enemy had, most of 
them, stopped for a time to plunder our camps, he was just 
in readiness to move forward, when the rebels came in for a 
new and overwhelming assault. Resisting this manfully, he 
caught its surge, and hurled it back; assumed the offensive; 
attacked again in two columns ; employed his cavalry in 
vigorous charges on both flanks; succeeded, with Custer's 
division, in turning their left and rolling it up, and again 
routed them. Thus he snatched victory out of the jaws of 
defeat. And all this — no one can gainsay it — was due to 
the brilliant genius and personal elan of Sheridan himself. 
The slaughter of the enemy was great. We captured almost 
every thing they had, including the guns and camps which 
we had lost in the morning. Sheridan was every-where to 
be seen urging his men to press on after the retreating foe, 
which had become a rout. The rebels being chased through 
the streets of Middletown, and on to Mount Jackson, over 
two thousand broke and ran down the mountain, throwing 
away arms, knapsacks, and blankets to aid in securing 
safety. The rebel loss was about three thousand killed, 
seven thousand prisoners, many of them wounded, fifty-five 
cannon, a great number of small arms, ten battle-flags, and 
over three hundred wagons and ambulances. The Union 
officers suffered severely, in one of General Grover's 
brigades, every field officer being killed or disabled; in 
another only three were left. The Union loss in killed, 
wounded, and missing was four thousand and eighty-six. 
No one was more gratified than Grant, who, as soon as he 
heard the news, telegraphed to the Secretary of War 
these words : 

"I had a salute of one hundred guns fired from each of 
the armies here, in honor of Sheridan's last victory. 



278 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Turning what bid fair to be a disaster into a glorious ( 
victory, stamps Sheridan, what I have always thought him, 
one of the ablest of generals. 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General" 

The President wrote to Sheridan : 

"Executive Mansion, Washington, Oct. 22, 1SG4. 
" Major-General Sheridan : With great pleasure I 
tender to you and your brave army the thanks of the nation, 
and my own personal admiration and gratitude for the 
month's operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and especially 
for the splendid work of October 19th. 

"Your obedient servant, 

"Abraham Lincoln." 

The resignation of George B. McClellan having been 
accepted, the President ordered : 

"That for personal gallantry, military skill, and just 
confidence in the courage and patriotism of his troops, dis- 
played by Philip II. Sheridan on the 19th of October, at 
Cedar Run, whereby, under the blessing of Providence, his 
routed army was reorganized, a great national disaster 
averted, and a brilliant victory achieved over the rebels for 
the third time in pitched battle within thirty days, Philip II. 
Sheridan is appointed major-general in the United States 
Army, to rank as such from the 8th day of November, 
1864." 

The enemy now abandoned the Shenandoah Valley, and 
Grant withdrew the Sixth Corps. It is a pleasure to linger 
over the deeds of Sheridan, for of all the brilliant men pro- 
duced by this war, none can compete in personal daring 
with glorious Phil. Sheridan. 

Sherman, with sixty thousand men and three thousand 






LIFE OF GRANT. 279 

wagons, had swept across the Confederacy. His trail was 
sixty miles wide and three hundred long. 

The destruction was awful. The army marched the 
whole distance in twenty-four days. In the entire com- 
mand, but five hundred and sixty-seven men of all ranks 
were either killed or wounded. Ten thousand negroes, 
liberating themselves, entered Savannah in the train of the 
army. Thirteen hundred and thirty-eight of the Confed- 
erate army were made prisoners. Twenty thousand bales 
of cotton were burned, beside twenty-five thousand captured 
at Savannah. Thirteen thousand head of beef-cattle, nine 
million five hundred thousand pounds of corn, and ten 
million five hundred thousand pounds of fodder were taken 
from the country. Foragers were every day sent out, 
along the whole line of route, to gather all the sheep, hogs, 
turkeys, geese, chickens, sweet potatoes, and rice from the 
plantations. Five thousand horses and four thousand mules 
were impressed for the cavalry and trains. Three hundred 
and twenty miles of railway were destroyed, by burning 
every tie, twisting every rail while heated red hot over the 
flaming piles of the ties, and laying in ruins every depot, 
engine-house, repair-tank, water-tank, and turn-table. 
Thus the communication between the Confederate armies in 
Virginia and in the West was effectually severed. General 
Sherman estimated the damage done to the State of Georgia 
at a hundred million dollars. Of this, twenty million dollars 
inured to our advantage. The remainder was simple waste 
and destruction. Such is war. 

Grant, who knew all about Sherman's campaign, was 
only waiting for him to reach the right place, and then the 
order to assault Lee would be given. A good many have 
claimed the exclusive honor of the march to the sea for 
Sherman, but it was only a part of the great whole of 
which Grant was the head. 



280 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Sherman himself said, in a speech made after the close 
of the war at Louisville : 

" While we are here together to-night, let me tell you, 
as a point of historical interest, that here, upon this spot, 
in this very hotel, and, I think, almost in the room through 
which I reached this balcony, General Grant and I laid 
down our maps and studied the campaign which ended the 
war. I had been away down in Mississippi, finishing up 
an unfinished job I had done there, when General Grant 
called for me, by telegraph, to meet him in Nashville. But 
Ave were bothered so much there that we came up here, and 
in this hotel sat down with our maps, and talked over the 
lines and the operations by means of which we were to 
reach the heart of our enemy. He went to Richmond, and 
I to Atlanta. The result was just as we laid it out in this 
hotel, in March. 1864." 



LIFE OF GRANT. 281 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE SITUATION — BEGINNING OF THE END — ANECDOTES OF GRANT — SHER- 
IDAN LOOSE AGAIN — INTERVIEW BETWEEN LINCOLN, GRANT, MEADE, 

SHERIDAN, AND SHERMAN ADVANCE OF THE FIFTH CORPS — SHERIDAN 

AT FIVE FORKS CAPTURE OF PETERSBURG ADVANCE OF THE ARMY — ■ 

THE FIGHTING FALL OF RICHMOND THE REBEL RAMS BLOWN UP — COR- 
RESPONDENCE BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE SHERIDAN AT THE APPOMAT- 
TOX — INTERVIEW BETWEEN GRANT AND LEE TERMS OF SURRENDER 

PROPOSED LEE SURRENDERS HIS ARMY — SCENES OF THE SURRENDER — 

FORM OF PAROLE — NUMBER OF PRISONERS TAKEN BY GRANT — SHERMAN'S 
MOVEMENTS THE END THE MARCH HOMEWARD REVIEW AT WASHING- 
TON — GRANT TAKES LEAVE OF HIS ARMY GRANT AT HOME. 

The sagacious Grant now saw the rebellion drawing to 
a close, and was doubling for his final spring upon it. This 
was the situation : Sherman at Savannah, Hood's army de- 
feated, and General Price driven out of Missouri, Early 
used up by Sheridan in the Shenandoah, Breckinridge check- 
mated in East Tennessee, Canby operating effectually in 
Louisiana, and preparing to capture Mobile, and Grant at 
Richmond holding Lee in a vice from which there was no 
escape. 

Grant was drawing his lines close about Petersburg, but 
the public, thrilled with the brilliant operations of Sherman 
and Sheridan, were impatient for him to attack Lee. Even 
some of Grant's generals were grumbling at his delay. An 
anecdote is told of Grant, which is worth relating in this 
connection. When General Grant went to the army of the 
Potomac, he knew that a good deal of jealousy existed be- 



282 LIFE OF GRANT. 

tween the different generals, and that one cause of the re- 
peated failures of that army was the jealousy of subordinates 
toward former commanding generals. Determined to obviate 
this, if possible, he gave each general his orders without 
consulting the others. One day, having occasion to make 
an important move, he called several of the generals together 
at his head-quarters. Of course each one came prepared 
to debate the several propositions submitted, but imagine 
their surprise when the general did not ask their opinion 
on a single point. After talking pleasantly to them for 
some time about the weather, the crops, troops, and other 
common-place matters, the general took from his table a 
well-marked map and said, "Gentlemen, I wish to make 
an important movement, and will show you the route you 
are to march." lie then pointed out and explained mi- 
nutely what he wanted done. Folding up the map, Grant 
drew from a drawer in his desk several sealed envelopes, 
and handing one to each of the generals said, "Here are 
your orders, and maps of your route as explained to you; 
be sure, gentlemen, and be on time." Then getting up, he 
lit his cigar and put on his hat, as much as to say, "it is 
unnecessary to talk further about the matter." The gene- 
rals departed, and as two of them were mounting their horses 
to ride away, one said, laughingly to the other, " Egad, we 
have got our master at last, and there is nothing left for us 
to do but obey orders." 

One day during the Petersburg campaign, as Grant was 
walking along the river bank, he saw several private soldiers 
who were engaged in unloading from a transport what they 
called "salt horse." The soldiers were in charge of a lieu- 
tenant of a New York regiment, who took every occasion to 
show his authority. To one of his abusive remarks one of 
the privates made reply, whereupon the lieutenant admin- 
istered severe kicks to the offender, who offered no resist- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 283 

ance, but continued on with his work. Grant, who was a 
short, thick set man, and wore a slouched hat and rather 
seedy officer's cloak, h;id been standing for some time 
watching the operations going on, and when he saw the 
officer strike the soldier, he threw off his cloak and coat, 
and proceeded to help unload the transport. After the task 
was accomplished, he donned his coat and cloak, and asked 
the lieutenant, in very civil terms, his name and regiment. 
11 Lieutenant — of the — Now York Volunteers. By what 
authority do you dare ask such a question?" "Report 
yourself immediately to your colonel under arrest, by order 
of General Grant, for cruelty to your men ; and remember 
that abuse of privates by officers is not tolerated by the pres- 
ent commander of this army," replied the " thick-set " officer, 
liditin^ a ci^ar, and walking slowly away. 

The end had now come. Sherman's columns had united 
at Goldsboro', and he was moving majestically on, driving 
the rebels before him. Hood, crippled and bleeding, was 
creeping away from Thomas, and Canby was marching on 
Mobile. Grant, sending orders to Thomas to push out his 
cavalry after the rebels, and sending another expedition into 
the Confederacy from Yicksburg, ordered Sheridan to cut 
through the Confederacy in Virginia, while he himself pre- 
pared to assault Lee. 

Like a thunderbolt Sheridan fell upon Early in his forti- 
fied camp at Waynesboro', overturned him, capturing sixteen 
hundred prisoners, eleven guns, and two hundred wagons, 
with seventeen battle-flags, after which he marched to Char- 
lottesville, New Market, and from thence to White House, 
where he communicated with Grant. 

On the 29th of March, 1805, Ord was at Hatcher's Run, 
with two divisions under Gibbon, one under Burney, and 
McKenzie's cavalry. 

On the 28th Sheridan had marched for Dinwiddie Court- 



284 LIFE OF GRANT. 

house "with five thousand men under Merritt, and three thou- 
sand under Crook. On the 29th, at 5 o'clock, he arrived at 
the Court-house and received the following instructions from 
Grant : 

"Gravelly Run, March 29, 1865. 

" General : Our line is now unbroken from the Appo- 
mattox to Dinwiddie. We are all ready, however, to give 
up all from the Jerusalem plank road to Hatcher's Run, 
whenever the forces can be used advantageously. After 
getting into line south of Hatcher's, we pushed forward to 
find the enemy's position. General Griffin was attacked 
near where the Quaker road intersects the Boydton road, 
but repulsed it easily, capturing about one hundred men. 
Humphreys reached Dabney's mill, and was pushing on 
when last heard from. 

"I now feel like ending the matter, if it is possible to do 
so, before going back. I do not want you, therefore, to cut 
loose and go after the enemy's roads at present. In the 
morning, push round the enemy if you can, and get on to his 
right rear. The movements of the enemy's cavalry may, 
of course, modify your action. We will act all together as 
one army here, until it is seen what can be done with the 
enemy. The signal officer at Cobb's Hill reported at 11:30 
A. M., that a cavalry column had passed that point from 
Richmond toward Petersburg, taking forty minutes to pass. 
"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. 

"Major-General P. II. Sheridan." 

On the day before, General Sherman had arrived at 
Grant's head-quarters, where Mr. Lincoln also was. An 
eye-witness gives the following account of the interview be- 
tween the illustrious men there assembled: 

"I was sitting in the office of General Grant's adjutant- 
general, on the morning of the 28th of March, and saw 






LIFE OF GRANT. 285 

President Lincoln, with Generals Grant, Sherman, Meade, 
and Sheridan, coming up the walk. Look at the men whose 
names are to have a conspicuous place in the annals of 
America: Lincoln — tall, round-shouldered, loose-jointed, 
large-featured, deep-eyed, with a smile upon his face; he is 
dressed in deep black, and wears a fashionable silk hat. 
Grant is at Lincoln's right, shorter, stouter, more compact; 
wears a military hat, with a stiff, broad brim; has his hands 
in his pantaloons pocket, and is puffing away at a cigar, 
while listening to Sherman. Sherman — tall, with high, 
commanding forehead, is almost as loosely built as Lincoln ; 
has sandy whiskers, closely cropped, and sharp, twinkling 
eyes, long arms and legs, shabby coat, slouch hat, his pants 
tucked into his boots. He is talking hurriedly, gesticulating 
now to Lincoln, now to Grant, his eyes wandering every- 
where. Meade — also tall, with thin, sharp features, a gray 
beard, and spectacles ; is a little stooping in his gait. Sher- 
idan — the shortest of all, quick and energetic in all his 
movements, with a face bronzed by sun and wind ; courte- 
ous, affable, a thorough soldier. The plan of the lieutenant- 
general was then made known to his subordinates, and each 
departed, during the day, to carry into execution the re- 
spective parts assigned them." 

ki Meantime the Second Corps had left their intrench- 
ments near Hatcher's Run, and advanced out along the 
Vaughn road. The Fifth Corps, which had been stationed 
in the rear of the Second, at three and a half o'clock A. 
Iff., started, going over by-roads across the country, so as 
to reach the Vaughn road at a point beyond where the 
Second Corps was to march. Up to this time, General 
Ayer's division taking the lead, one brigade under General 
Gwin was posted at Scott's House to cover the Vaughn 
road, while the remainder of the division was held in 
reserve. Griffin's division was then placed in advance. 



286 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The column now left the Vaughn road, at a point distant 
about four miles from Dinwiddie Court-house, and advanced 
up the Quaker road in the direction of Boydton plank 
road, some three miles distant. A short distance from 
here the troops found a line of abandoned rebel breast- 
works, from which their pickets had just retired. Skir- 
mishers were now thrown forward, and sharp firing com- 
menced; the skirmishers crossing an open plateau, the 
further side of which Bushrod Johnson's rebel divisions 
were posted. The first brigade of Griffin's division was 
now ordered forward to support the skirmishers, and when 
within rifle-shot of the woods, a tremendous volley of 
musketry greeted their advance, causing them to waver and 
fall back. The Second Brigade now came up to the sup- 
port of the first, which caused the latter to rally and stand 
firm. In the meantime, battery B, of the First United 
States, was got into position and commenced firing with 
effect. While the fight was in progress, General Warren 
was engaged in forming his line of battle on the right and 
left of the Quaker road. The enemy, seeing that a large 
force was being moved against them, retired to a point 
further back. Sheridan was on the extreme left at Din- 
widdie Court-house ; Mead's head-quarters were on the 
Vaughn road, three miles beyond Hatcher's Run, and 
General Grant's about a mile further out. 

With an impetuosity that could not be resisted, Sheridan 
rushed forward and seized the Five Forks, but the enemy 
had made head against Warren, and were now driving back 
the Fifth Corps. Sheridan's position was perilous in the 
extreme, but he fought desperately, retiring slowly toward 
Dinwiddie Court-house. Humphreys now advanced, driving 
the enemy before him to Burgess' Mill, and Ord and 
Wright were preparing to go in. Grant, anxious for Sheri- 
dan's safety, sent the Fifth Corps to report to him, but it 



LIFE OF GllAXT. 287 

came up so slowly, tlie impatient soldier censured its com- 
mander, General Warren. 

Sunday, April 2d, at four o'clock, A. M., the time for 
action had now come. General Parke, in front of Peters- 
burg, was pressing close up to the town. His divisions 
were : Wilcox on the right, resting on the Appomattox ; 
Hartranft in the center; Potter, with the Second Division, 
was on the left, joining Wheaton, of die Sixth Corps. The 
plan was for Wilcox to make a feint upon the rebel front 
on the Appomattox. It was promptly and vigorously made, 
the men creeping up to within a few feet of the rebel fort. 
At the word of command, the gallant First Division sprang 
to its feet, and, with a yell, rushed on the work. At a 
quarter past four o'clock they were in the fort, having 
captured the garrison of fifty men and four guns. This was 
the feint of Wilcox. Hartranft and Potter advanced about 
the same time, and in the same manner, stealing up under 
cover of darkness, they, without firing a gun, sprang 
forward, capturing four forts, twenty-seven guns, and 
hundreds of prisoners. Thus at daylight Parke, without 
loss, had gained possession of the rebel lines in his front. 
The Sixth Corps had simultaneously begun their work. 
Wheaton on the right, Seymour in the center, and Getty 
on the left, joining at Fort Sampson the new line of the 
Twenty-fourth Corps, with Foster's division on the right. 
Wright's corps had to sustain a volley in their advance, but 
they carried the rebel line, and not five minutes elapsed 
fircm the time Wright gave the signal to storm, before 
Generals Seymour, Wheaton, and Getty were over the line 
and in possession of all the rebel guns. All the regiments 
did their duty. In the first charge Wheaton took twelve 
pieces of artillery, and nearly the entire Mississippi brigade 
of Heth's division; thus, by five o'clock, the rebels were 
driven from all their outer works on the south and west of 



288 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Petersburg. At seven o'clock, the Second and Twenty- 
fourth Corps began the work assigned them. Turner and 
Foster, of the Twenty-fourth Corps, made the assault and 
carried the rifle lines with little loss, while the Second Corps 
advanced immediately on the opposite side of Hatcher's 
Run. The advance of this corps was a gradual ascent all 
the way. Colonel Olmstead and Colonel Mclvor, of the 
First and Second Brigades, rushed into the two forts before 
them, capturing five guns and a large number of prisoners, 
with the loss of only ten men. The Nineteenth Massachu- 
setts and the Seventh Michigan, the far East and far West, 
join hands this Sunday morning in the "last ditch" of the 
rebellion. Other forts were taken by New York, Pennsyl- 
vania, and New Jersey troops. Thus, by eight o'clock, the 
entire rebel line, from the Appomattox to Burgess' Mill, 
had every-whcre been broken, and the Sixth Corps had 
swung round and was facing Petersburg from the west. 
The Twenty fourth Corps was marching from Hatcher's 
Run east inside the rebel line, and the Second Corps in the 
same direction on the Boydton road. Every soldier looked 
as if he understood the mighty events taking place. The 
smile of triumph was on every lip, the sparkle of joy in 
every eye. 

General Grant, having left his head-quarters at Dabney 
Mills to overlook the work yet to be done, came riding 
along the lines on a trot, cheer upon cheer every- where 
saluted him, and nothing ever equaled the enthusiasm. The 
military genius of Napoleon in his Italian campaigns was 
growing dim before the splendor of the great American 
general. Few things in the annals of war can compete 
with the genius displayed by Grant in his final operations 
around Richmond. Sheridan had done splendid work in 
front of Dinwiddie Court-house. As soon as the Fifth 
Corps got up, he assaulted the enemy again in front of 



LIFE OF GRANT. 289 

Ay res', Crawford's, and Griffin's divisions, while Merritt and 
McKenzie, with their cavalry, fell upon the rebel's right flank. 

The enemy were driven from their strong line of works 
and completely routed, the Fifth Corps doubling up their 
left flank in confusion, and the cavalry of General Merritt 
dashing on to the White Oak road, capturing their artillery 
and turning it upon them, and riding into their broken 
ranks, so demoralized them, that they made no serious 
stand after their line was carried, but took to flight in 
disorder. 

Between five thousand and six thousand prisoners fell 
into our hands, and the fugitives were driven westward, and 
were pursued till long after dark by Merritt's and McKen- 
zie's cavalry, for a distance of six miles. 

During the fighting of the Fifth Corps, the Second and 
Third Divisions were driven back in confusion. General 
Griffin rode up to General J. Lawrence Chamberlain, and 
said : 

"General, the Fifth Corps is disgraced. I have told 
General Warren that you can retake that field. Will you 
save the honor of the corps?" 

It was an appalling undertaking. With one brigade, 
already exhausted by hard fighting, and weakened by 
severe loss, General Chamberlain was to attack the foe 
flushed with victory. He formed his lines, dashed through 
the stream, and drove the enemy back for more than a 
mile to the edge of a hill. Here, as the enemy appeared in 
greater force, he was ordered to halt, that the strength and 
position of the foe might be ascertained. But he begged 
permission to press on, asking only for several regiments 
to support his flanks en echelon. He then, upon the double- 
quick, swept the field, and gained a lodgment on the White 
Oak road, which enabled the Fifth Corps to render essen- 
tial service in cutting off the retreat of Lee. 
19 



290 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The night of the 2d of April was one of consternation 
and terror in Richmond. The people had been lulled by 
the long years of security, and deceived by their leaders. 
No intelligent man doubted the result, but the hoodwinked 
populace still believed that Richmond was impregnable, and 
would never be evacuated. Their eyes were now suddenly 
opened. Without warning, it was now announced, while 
Jeff. Davis was in church (for it was Sunday), that the army 
was evacuating the city, and that the " Federals " would 
enter at once. Lee, who had long before seen the folly of 
continuing the struggle, had been overruled by Jeff. Davis ; 
but now there was no choice. The army left that night, 
in frantic haste, to move by the Danville road, and form a 
junction with Johnston. But it was too late. 

On the 3d, Sheridan followed with cavalry, striking for 
Danville, to head off Lee's retreat. On the same day, 
General Weitzel entered Richmond at eight and a quarter 
o'clock in the morning. 

Thus the great capital of treason and rebellion, which 
had defied the Union army for four years, fell. Richmond 
and Petersburg were now captured, hundreds of guns and 
thousands of prisoners taken, Lee's army demoralized, 
shattered, broken, and driven to the four winds. This is 
the history of the day. How can it be told? what pen can 
write it ? or who comprehend the magnitude of the issue? 
decided by this mighty event ? Two hundred and forty-five 
years ago, on this very spot, our traffic in human flesh 
began. During this long period the earnest prayers and 
agonizing groans of an outraged people had been ascending 
to the throne of God. They have not been in vain. Let it 
forever be remembered that Washington gave us a country, 
but this day's victory made it free. 

On the night of the 2d, the rebel rams Virginia and 
Rappahannock, which were lying in the James River near 






LIFE OF GRANT. 291 

Howlett House, had been blown up about midnight, shaking 
the earth like a volcano, and strewing the river for miles 
with the wrecks. 

On the 5th, Grant, feeling that the war in Virginia was 
nearly over, wrote Sherman : 

"Wilson's Station. April 5, 1865. 
" General : All indications now are that Lee will attempt 
to reach Danville with the remnant of his force. Sheridan, 
who was up with him last night, reports all that is left — 
horse, foot, and dragoons — at twenty thousand, much 
demoralized. We hope to reduce this number one-half. I 
shall push on to Burkesville, and if a stand is made at 
Danville, will in a few days go there. If you can possibly 
do so, push on from where you are, and let us see if we can 
not finish the job with Lee's and Johnston's armies. 
Whether it will be better for you to strike for Greensboro', 
or nearer to Danville, you will be better able to judge when 
you receive this. Rebel armies now are the only strategic 
points to strike at. 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. 
"Major-General W. T. Sherman." 

On the 6th, Sheridan struck the rebels south of Sailors' 
Creek, near the Appomattox, and fought a battle, capturing 
sixteen guns, four hundred wagons, and delaying the enemy 
until the Sixth Corps could come up, when a combined 
attack was made, and seven thousand prisoners, including 
several generals, were taken. On the 7th, the pursuit was 
continued by both infantry and cavalry, and so close were 
our forces on the heels of the rebels, that they were unable 
to destroy the bridges behind them. In the evening of this 
day, Grant being prepared to strike, and feeling confident it 
would be useless for Lee to further resist, sent him the fol- 
lowing note : 



292 LIFE OF GRANT. 

"April 7th, 1865. 

" The result of the last week must convince you of the 
hopelessness of further resistance, on the part of the Army 
of Northern Virginia in this struggle. I feel that it is so, 
and regard it as my duty to shift from myself the responsi- 
bility of any further effusion of blood, by asking of you the 
surrender of that portion of the Confederate States Army 
known as the Army of Northern Virginia. 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. 

"General R. E. Lee." 

On the 8th, Grant, who was then at Farmville, received 
the following reply from General Lee : 



"General : I have just received your note of this date. 
Though not entertaining the opinion you express of the 
hopelessness of further resistance on the part of the Army 
of Northern Virginia, I reciprocate your desire to avoid use- 
less effusion of blood; and, therefore, before considering 
your proposition, ask the terms you will offer on condition 

of its surrender. 

"R. E. Lee, General. 

" Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." 

To this, Grant replied : 

" April 8th, 1865. 
" General : Your note of last evening in reply to mine of 
the same date, asking the condition on which I will accept 
the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia is just re- 
ceived. In reply I would say, that, peace being my first 
desire, there is but one condition I insist upon ; namely, that 
the men surrendered shall be disqualified for taking up arms 



LIFE OP GRANT. 293 

against the Government of the United States, until properly 
exchanged. I will meet you, or will designate officers to 
meet any officers you may name for the same purpose, at 
any point agreeable to you, for the purpose of arranging 
definitely the terms upon which the surrender of the Army 
of Northern Virginia will be received. 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. 
u General R. E. Lee." 

Meanwhile, the pursuit was being continued. The infan- 
try were pushing with all haste for Appomattox Station, and 
on the afternoon of the 8th, Sheridan struck the Appomattox 
Railroad, whipped the enemy, and captured twenty-five guns 
and four trains of cars. 

The same day, Lee wrote to Grant : 

"April 8th, 1865. 
" General : I received, at a late hour, your note of to- 
day. In mine of yesterday, I did not intend to propose the 
surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but to ask the 
terms of your proposition. To be frank, I do not think the 
emergency has arisen to call for the surrender of this army ; 
but as the restoration of peace should be the sole object of 
all, I desired to know whether your proposals would lead to 
that end. I can not, therefore, meet you with a view to sur- 
render the Army of Northern Virginia ; but so far as your 
proposal may affect the Confederate State forces under my 
command, and tend to the restoration of peace, I should be 
pleased to meet you at 10 A. M. to-morrow, on the old stage 
road to Richmond, between the picket lines of the two 
armies. 

"R. E. Lee, General. 
" Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." 



Grant next day replied: 



294 LIFE OF GRANT. 

"April 9th, 1865. 

" General : Your note of yesterday is received. I have 
no authority to treat on the subject of peace; the meeting 
proposed for 10 A. M. to-day, could lead to no good. I 
will state, however, General, that I am equally anxious for 
peace with yourself, and the whole North entertains the 
same feeling. The terms upon which peace can be had are 
well understood. By the South laying down their arms they 
will hasten that most desirable event, save thousands of hu- 
man lives, and hundreds of millions of property not yet des- 
troyed. Sincerely hoping that all our difficulties may be 
settled without the loss of another life, 
" I subscribe myself, etc., 

"U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General. 

"General R. E. Lee." 

Lee at once wrote Grant : 

"April 9th, 1865. 
" General : I received your note of this morning, on the 
picket line, whither I had come to meet you, and ascertain 
definitely what terms were embraced in your proposal of 
yesterday, with reference to the surrender of this army. I 
now ask an interview in accordance with the offer contained 
in your letter of yesterday, for that purpose. 

"R. E. Lee, General. 
" Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant." 

The two great captains, accompanied each by three offi- 
cers, met in the road between the lines near the house of 
Mr. W. McLean. After shaking hands, the two Generals 
entered the house and the following terms of surrender were 
agreed upon. Grant wrote : 

" I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of 



LIFE OF GRANT. 295 

Northern Virginia on the following terms — to wit : Rolls of 
all the officers and men to be made in duplicate, one copy to 
be given to an officer to be designated by me, the other to 
be retained by such officer or officers as you may designate. 
The officers to give their individual paroles not to take up 
arms against the Government of the United States until 
properly exchanged ; and each company, or regimental com- 
mander, to sign a like parole for the men of their commands. 
The arms, artillery, and public property, to be packed and 
turned over to the officers appointed by me to receive them. 
This will not embrace the side-arms of the officers, nor their 
private horses or baggage. This done, each officer and 
man will be allowed to return to his home, not to be disturb- 
ed by the United States authority, so long as they observe 
their paroles, and the laws in force where they may reside. 
[Signed.] "U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- General" 

To this, Lee wrote: "The terms are accepted. I will 
proceed to designate the proper officers to carry the stipula- 
tions into effect. 

"R. E. Lee, General." 

It was over. Nothing could exceed the joy of the troops 
and chagrin of the rebels. A rebel gives the following ac- 
count of the scenes then transpiring in the rebel army: 

" As General Lee was seen riding to the rear, dressed 
more gayly than usual, and begirt with his sword, the rumor 
of immediate surrender flew like wildfire through the Con- 
federates. It might be imagined that an army, which had 
drawn its last regular rations on the first of April, and harass- 
ed incessantly by night and day, had been marching and fight- 
ing until the morning of the 9th, would have welcomed any 
thing like a termination of its sufferings, let it come in what 
form it might. Let those who idly imagine that the finer 



296 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



feelings are the prerogative of what are called the l upper 
classes,' learn from this and similar scenes to appreciate 
* common men.' As the great Confederate captain rode back 
from his interview with General Grant, the news of the sur- 
render acquired shape and consistency, and could no longer 
he denied. The effect on the worn and battered troops — 
some of whom had fought since April, 1861, and (sparse 
survivors of hecatombs of fallen comrades) had passed un- 
scathed through such hurricanes of shot, as within four years 
no other men had ever experienced — passes mortal descrip- 
tion. 

"Whole lines of battle rushed up to their beloved old 
chief, and choking with emotion, broke ranks and struggled 
with each other to wring him once more by the hand. Men 
who had fought throughout the war, and knew what the 
agony and humility of that moment must be to him, strove, 
with a refinement of unselfishness and tenderness which he 
alone could fully appreciate, to lighten his burden and mit- 
igate his pain. With tears pouring down both cheeks, 
General Lee at length commanded voice enough to say, 
'Men, we have fought through the war together. I have 
done the best that I could for you.' Not an eye that looked 
on that scene was dry. Nor was this the emotion of sickly 
sentimentalists, but of rough and rugged men, familiar with 
hardships, danger, and death in a thousand shapes, mas- 
tered by sympathy and feeling for another which they never 
experienced on their own account. I know of no other 
passage of military history so touching, unless, in spite of 
the melo-dramatic coloring which French historians have 
loved to shed over the scene, it can be found in the Adieu 
de Fontainebleau. 

"It remains for me briefly to notice the last parade of an 
army, whereof the exploits will be read with pride so long 
as the English tongue is spoken. In pursuance of an ar- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 297 

rangement of the six commissioners, the Confederate army 
marched by divisions, on the morning of April the 12th, to 
a spot at the Appomattox Court-house, where they stacked 
arms and deposited accouterments. Upon this solemn occa- 
sion Major-General Gibbon represented the United States 
authorities. With the same exalted and conspicuous delica- 
cy which he had exhibited throughout the closing scenes, 
General Grant was not again visible after his final interview 
with General Lee. About seven thousand eight hundred Con- 
federates marched with their muskets in their hands, and were 
followed by about eighteen thousand unarmed stragglers, 
who claimed to be included in the capitulation. Each Con- 
federate soldier was furnished with printed form of parole, 
which was filled up for him by his own officer, and a du- 
plicate handed to a distinguished Federal officer. By the 
evening of the 12th, the paroles were generally distributed, 
and the disbanded men began to scatter throughout the 
country. Hardly one of them had a farthing of money. 
Some of them had from fifteen hundred to two thousand 
miles to travel, over a country of which the scanty rail- 
roads were utterly annihilated." 

When the first moments of their grief were over, and the 
rebels remembered that they would now soon be enabled to 
revisit their homes and friends, they rejoiced that the end 
had come. The main body of Lee's army was drawn up in 
a plain, surrounded by hills which were held by our troops, 
and from which there was no escape. The Union troops 
were ready to open fire on the rebels, when they were as- 
tounded by the outbursts of cheer upon cheer from the 
exhausted, bleeding, despairing enemy. They had first re- 
ceived the tidings of the capitulation, and their joyful 
shouts conveyed the glad news to our army. The cheer was 
echoed back, and the voices, of friend and foe blended in that 
joyful cry. The Union troops, who were pressing along in 



298 LIFE OF GRANT. 

the rear, caught the shout, learned its significance, and 
passed it along their ranks in thunder roar. For miles the 
hills and forests rang with the acclaim of that grand patriot 
army, rejoicing that the spirit of rebellion was now trampled 
down forever. 

In the battles around Petersburg and in the pursuit, Lee 
lost over ten thousand men killed and wounded, and twenty 
thousand men in prisoners and deserters, including those 
taken in battle, and those picked up in pursuit ; embracing 
all arms of the service — teamsters, hospital force, and every 
thing — from sixteen to eighteen thousand men were surren- 
dered by Lee. As only fifteen thousand muskets and about 
thirty pieces of artillery w T ere surrendered, the available 
fighting force could hardly have exceeded fifteen or twenty 
thousand men. Our total captures of artillery during the 
battles and pursuit, and at the surrender, amounted to about 
one hundred and seventy guns. Three or four hundred 
wagons were handed over. 

In the terms of surrender, the officers gave their own pa- 
roles, and each officer gave his parole for the men within his 
command. The following is the form of the personal parole 
of officers : 

"We, the undersigned prisoners of war belonging to the 
Army of Northern Virginia, having been this day surrendered 
by General R. E. Lee, commanding said army, to Lieutenant- 
General U. S. Grant, commanding the armies of the United 
States, do hereby give our solemn parole of honor that we 
will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate 
States, or in any military capacity whatever, against the 
United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of 
the latter until properly exchanged in such manner as shall 
be mutually approved by the respective authorities. 

"R. E. Lee, General. 

" W. II. Taylor, Lieutenant-Colonel and A. A. G. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 299 

"Chas. S. Venable, Lieutenant-Colonel and A. A. G. 

" Chas. Marshall, Lieutenant-Colonel and A. A. G. 

"H. E. Praton, Lieutenant-Colonel and Inspector-General. 

u Giles Brooke, Major and A. A. Surgeon-General. 

"H. S. Young, A. A. General. 

"Done at Appomattox Court-house, Va., this ninth (9th) 
day of April, 1865." 
[countersigned. ] 

" The above-named officers will not be disturbed by United 
States authorities as long as they observe their parole, and 
the laws in force where they reside. 

"George H. Sharpe, 

" General Assistant Provost Marshal." 
The paroles for the men were in the same form, except 
commencing with the words "I, the undersigned command- 
ing officer of belonging to the Army of Northern Vir- 
ginia," etc. These were signed by the officers commanding 
the men, and countersigned by the provost marshal or his 
assistants. 

As soon as the terms of surrender were signed, General 
Grant had designated the command of Major-General Gib- 
bon, the Fifth Army Corps under Griffin, and McKenzie's 
cavalry, to remain at Appomattox Court-house until the pa- 
roling of the surrendered army was completed, and to take 
charge of the public property. The remainder of the army 
immediately returned to the vicinity of Burkesville. 

On receipt of General Grant's letter of the 5th of April, 
General Sherman had moved directly against General John- 
ston, who retreated rapidly on and through Raleigh, which 
place General Sherman occupied on the morning of the 
13th. On the day preceding, news of the surrender of 
General Lee reached him at Smithfield. 

On the 14th, a correspondence was opened between Gene- 
ral Sherman and General Johnston, which resulted on the 



300 LIFE OF GRANT. 

18th in an agreement for the suspension of hostilities, and a 
memorandum or basis for peace, subject to the approval of 
the President. This agreement was disapproved by the 
President on the 21st, which disapproval, together with the 
instructions of the Secretary of War, were communicated by 
General Grant in person to General Sherman, at Raleigh, 
North Carolina, on the morning of the 24th. Notice was at 
once given by him to General Johnston for the termination 
of the truce that had been entered into. On the 25th another 
meeting between them was agreed upon, to take place on the 
26th, which terminated in the surrender and disbandonment 
of Johnston's army upon substantially the same terms as 
were given to General Lee. 

An expedition, under General Geo. Stoneman, had moved 
on the 20th of March, from East Tennessee, and going by 
way of Boone, North Carolina, had struck the railroad at 
Wytheville, Chambersburg, and Big Lick. The force strik- 
ing it at Big Lick pushed on to within a few miles of Lynch- 
burg, destroying the important bridges, while with the main 
force he effectually destroyed it between New River and Big 
Lick, and then turned for Greensboro', on the North Caro- 
lina Railroad ; struck that road and destroyed the bridges 
between Danville and Greensboro', and between Greensboro' 
and the Yadkin, together with the depots and supplies along 
it, and captured four hundred prisoners. At Salisbury he 
attacked and defeated a force of the enemy under General 
Gardiner, capturing fourteen pieces of artillery and one 
thousand three hundred and sixty-four prisoners, and de- 
stroyed large amounts of army stores. At this place he 
destroyed fifteen miles of railroad and the bridges toward 
Charlotte. Thence he moved to Slatersville. 

General Canby, who had been directed in January to 
make preparations for a movement from Mobile Bay against 
Mobile and the interior of Alabama, commenced his move- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 301 

ment on the 20th of March. The Sixteenth Corps, Major- 
General A. J. Smith commanding, moved from Fort Gaines 
by "water to Fish River ; the Thirteenth Corps, under 
Major-General Gordon Granger, moved from Fort Morgan 
and joined the Sixteenth Corps on Fish River, both moving 
thence on Spanish Fort and investing it on the 27th ; 
while Major-General Steele's command moved from Pensa- 
cola, cut the railroad leading from Tensas to Montgomery, 
effected a junction with them, and partially invested Fort 
Blakely. After a severe bombardment of Spanish Fort, a 
part of its line was carried on the 8th of April. During 
the night the enemy evacuated the fort. Fort Blakely was 
carried by assault on the 9th, and many prisoners cap- 
tured; our loss was considerable. These successes practi- 
cally opened to us the Alabama River, and enabled us to 
approach Mobile from the north. On the night of the 11th 
the city was evacuated, and was taken possession of by our 
forces on the morning of the 12th. 

The expedition under the command of Brevet Major- 
General Wilson, consisting of twelve thousand five hundred 
mounted men, was delayed by rains until March 22d, when 
it moved from Chickasaw, Alabama. On the 1st of April, 
General "Wilson encountered the enemy in force under 
Forrest near Ebenezer Church, drove him in confusion, 
captured three hundred prisoners and three guns, and de- 
stroyed the central bridge over the Cahawba River. On 
the 2d he attacked and captured the fortified city of Selma, 
defended by Forrest with seven thousand men and thirty- 
two guns, destroyed the arsenal, armory, naval foundry, 
machine shops, vast quantities of stores, and captured three 
thousand prisoners. On the 4th he captured and destroyed 
Tuscaloosa. On the 10th he crossed the Alabama River, 
and after sending information of his operations to General 
Canby, marched on Montgomery, which place he occupied 



302 LIFE OF GRANT. 

on the 14th, the enemy having abandoned it. At this place 
many stores and five steamboats fell into our hands. Thence 
a force marched direct on Columbus, and another on West 
Point, both of which places were assaulted and captured on 
the 16th. At the former place we got one thousand five 
hundred prisoners and fifty-two field-guns, destroyed two 
gunboats, the navy-yard, foundries, arsenal, many factories, 
and much other public property. At the latter place we 
got three hundred prisoners, four guns, and destroyed 
nineteen locomotives and three hundred cars. On the 20th 
he took possession of Macon, Georgia, with sixty field-guns, 
one thousand two hundred militia, and five generals, sur- 
rendered by General Howell Cobb. General Wilson, hear- 
ing that Jeff. Davis was trying to make his escape, sent 
forces in pursuit and succeeded in capturing him on the 
morning of May 11th. 

On the 4th day of May, General Dick Taylor surrendered 
to General Canby all the remaining rebel forces east of the 
Mississippi. 

A force sufficient to insure an easy triumph over the 
enemy under Kirby Smith, west of the Mississippi, was 
immediately put in motion for Texas, and Major-General 
Sheridan designated for its immediate command ; but on the 
2Gth day of May, and before they reached their destination, 
General Kirby Smith surrendered his entire command to 
Major-General Canby. This surrender did not take place, 
however, until after the capture of the rebel President and 
Vice-President ; and the bad faith was exhibited of first 
disbanding most of his army, and permitting an indiscrimi- 
nate plunder of public property. 

The scattered rebel bands, upon hearing of the surrender 
of the great armies, surrendered or disbanded, and went to 
their homes. The whole number of rebel soldiers sur- 
rendered to the Union forces was one hundred and seventy- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 303 

four thousand two hundred and twenty-three. The number 
of rebel prisoners then on hand was ninety-eight thousand 
eight hundred and two. The whole number of the Union 
forces, May 11, 1865, was one million five hundred and 
sixteen men. 

Early in May the armies of Grant and Sherman were 
oidered to Washington, and on the 22d the Army of the 
Potomac led by Meade, and Sherman's bronzed heroes led 
by the old chief in person, were reviewed on Pennsylvania 
Avenue by General Grant, the President, Secretary of War, 
and members of the cabinet. The splendid pageant and 
ceremonies lasted for two days, and were witnessed by 
thousands of citizens from all parts of the republic. 

On the 14th of April, 1865, President Lincoln was 
assassinated at Ford's Theater, in Washington city, by 
Wilkes Booth, and General Grant narrowly escaped sharing 
his fate. In the early part of the evening it was the 
intention of the General to accompany the President to the 
theater, but business calling him away, he went north that 
night. 

Grant made tours of pleasure and inspection through the 
North, South, and Canada, and every-where throngs of 
people pressed to see him, bid him welcome, and take by 
the hand the quiet, unpretending, and sturdy man who had 
saved his country, and won a military fame second to no 
general in the world. When he visited West Point he was 
received with great honor, and the humble cadet of 1844, 
now generalissimo of all the armies of the United States, 
did honor to his alma mater. 

Harvard College, and many other institutions and asso- 
ciations of learning, conferred upon him their most honor- 
able degrees, and made him Doctor of Laws. 

On the 7th of January, 1865, a number of the principal 
citizens of Philadelphia presented him with a handsome 



30-i LIFE OF GRANT. 

house, thoroughly furnished, in Chestnut Street, above 
Twentieth. To tell of his honors, and the gifts he has 
received, would fill a volume such as this. 

Among all the ovations given him, none perhaps was 
more grateful to him than that at his old home, Galena, 
Illinois, on the 28th of August, 1865. There were arches 
decorated with the long scroll of his victories, enthusiastic 
plaudits from his old friends and fellow-citizens ; and over 
the street where he lived, and the sidewalk which he had 
calumniated, was the motto: "General, the sidewalk is 
built." The fond thought which had prompted such an 
expression of his ambition — to be Mayor of Galena, and 
build the sidewalk — thus treasured by his old friends, 
would touch the heart of Grant, when " the applause of 
listening senates" would have little power to move him. 

The soldiers longed to revisit their homes, from which 
some of them had been constantly separated for four 
years ; and General Grant, anxious to gratify a desire so 
natural to all men, caused them to be mustered out of 
service as rapidly as possible. On the 2d of June, 1865, 
he closed his official relations with the great volunteer 
armies of the Union, and issued to the soldiers he had 
commanded so long and well the following address: 

" Soldiers of the Armies of the United States : By 
your patriotic devotion to your country in the hour of 
danger and alarm, your magnificent fighting, bravery, and 
endurance, you have maintained the supremacy of the Union 
and the Constitution ; overthrown all armed opposition to 
the enforcement of the laws, and of the proclamations for- 
ever abolishing slavery — the cause and pretext of the 
rebellion ; and opened the way to the rightful authorities to 
restore order and inaugurate peace, on a permanent and 
enduring basis, on every foot of American soil. 






LIFE OF GRANT. 805 

"Your marches, sieges, and battles, in distance, duration, 
resolution, and brilliancy of results, dim the luster of the 
world's past military achievements, and will be the patriot's 
precedent in defense of liberty and right in all time to 
come. In obedience to your country's call, you left your 
homes and families, and volunteered in its defense. Vic- 
tory has crowned your valor, and secured the purpose of 
your patriotic hearts. And with the gratitude of your 
countrymen, and the highest honors a great and free nation 
can accord, you will soon be permitted to return to your 
homes and your families, conscious of having discharged 
the highest duties, of American citizens. 

"To achieve these glorious triumphs, and secure to your- 
selves, your fellow-countrymen, and posterity the blessings 
of free institutions, tens of thousands of your gallant com- 
rades have fallen, and sealed the priceless legacy with their 
lives. The graves of these a grateful nation bedews with 
tears, honors their memories, and will ever cherish and 
support their stricken families." 

20 



306 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE GRADE OF GENERAL GRANT COMMISSIONED A GENERAL HIS PERSONAL 

APPEARANCE, HABITS. MANNERS, CONDUCT, AND DRESS GRANT IN BATTLE 

HIS MILITARY FAME HIS KINDNESS OF HEART DEATH OF COLONEL 

O'MEARA A PLEASANT LETTER — THE OLD SOLDIER AND GRANT ANEC- 
DOTE OF STANTON AND LINCOLN GRANT* S RELIANCE UPON DIVINE PROVI- 
DENCE — HIS TREATMENT OF SUBORDINATE OFFICERS WHAT HE SAID OF 

SHERMAN, THOMAS, SHERIDAN, AND OTHERS ANECDOTE OF GRANT — HIS 

JUSTICE A CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY. 

In the summer of 1866, the grade of general was revived 
in the army, and on the 25th of July, 1866, the President 
commissioned Grant to the office, General Sherman on the 
same day succeeding him as lieutenant-general. In 1798, 
Congress conferred on Washington the grade of lieutenant- 
general, and had he lived another year, he would have been 
a full general. Upon the death of Washington the grade 
was discontinued. 

In the long years from February, 1849, to December, 
1852, earnest efforts were made to confer the grade of lieu- 
tenant-general, by brevet, on General Winfield Scott, for his 
long and illustrious services to the country ; but his enemies 
were ingenious and malignant, and among them the most per- 
tinacious was the then Honorable Jefferson Davis. 

When General McClellan succeeded to the command of 
the armies, General Scott was retired as a lieutenant-gen- 
eral ; but no officers, except Washington and Grant, ever 



LIFE OF GRANT. 307 

held the full rank. Grant is the first full General of the 
armies, and is now a little over forty-six years of ao-e. 

General Grant is not such a man as an idealist would pic- 
ture for a great hero. He is small of stature, and neither 
striking in appearance, nor eloquent in speech. Though 
strong and compactly built, he is what might emphatically 
be termed, a "plain little man." At first sight, the beholder 
wonders how such a man ever became great, and at once feels 
a personal superiority over this dull little personage ; but 
after being in his society for an hour or two, the stranger, 
with all his smartness, finds out he can make nothing out of 
the quiet General, and begins to suspect he is the smartest 
of the two. A close observer can now and then detect a 
merry twinkle in the General's eye, as the pompous politi- 
cian, with learned and particular phrase assumes to instruct 
his dull auditor, and sometimes a word escapes him which 
shows Grant knows more of the subject on hand than he 
chooses to let on. " You must talk plainly with Grant," 
said a distinguished statesman to a friend, as they were en- 
tering the General's head-quarters, "for he is about the 
dullest fellow on politics I ever saw." When they came out 
the friend to whom this caution had been given said : " That 
man, Grant, is as smart as a whip. Did you not observe how 
shrewd he "was in finding out our opinions, and yet, when we 
came back at him for his, he talked round us, and said— ^just 
nothing ; and withal, was so frank and polite, we had to put 
up with what he did say? He got our opinions, but I can't 
say we got his ; yet I am sure he has one, if he don't tell it." 
The truth is, Grant is a good listener, and always knows 
just what he is going to do, but he seldom tells of it before- 
hand. When he doubts, he selects his adviser, sends for him, 
and after laying the whole case before him asks for an opin- 
ion, which, when given, the General weighs carefully, and 
then acts. He is strictly honest, and a strong believer in 



308 LIFE OF GRANT. 

human instinct. When a man's heart is pure, and prompts 
him to do a thing, the General thinks he should follow the 
leadings of that better nature. Grant's brow is contracted, 
but the forehead is smooth and of the ordinary height ; his 
teeth are small and firmly set in a square and compact jaw, 
that says plainly enough, "my will must be carried out." 
His nose is. aquiline, but not much of a nose ; and his mouth, 
broad and firm, with full red lips. The eyes are sad and 
dreamy in their expression, blue in color, and light up when 
he talks or smiles. When Grant laughs, his eyes begin to 
laugh first, and then it spreads over his face, and terminates 
in shaking his whole body, but he never roars. The whole 
of the lower part of the face is covered with a closely cropped 
reddish beard, and on the upper lip he wears a moustache, cut 
to match the beard. His hair is abundant ; brown, worn short, 
and parted on the left side. When he was young, it is said 
he wore his hair parted in the middle ; but this is utterly un- 
worthy of belief. 

In his private life, Grant is irreproachable. Humane, 
generous, and pure, whether we consider him as a citizen, a 
son, a husband, a father, he is blameless. Some years ago, 
he occasionally took a glass of whisky, but after they began 
to censure him for it in public he quit entirely, and does 
not at the present time even taste wine. 

In manners, he is the gentlest of gentlemen, and his mild- 
ness is proverbial. No one ever was rebuffed or insulted by 
General Grant, and his whole deportment invites confidence. 
The humblest drummer boy in the army can approach him 
and have an interview if he desires it, and even the beggars 
on the street feel that "the kind-looking gentleman" will 
surely give them something. " If I can only see General 
Grant for a minute, I shall be all right," said a poor, sick sol- 
dier who wanted to go home; and he was quite right, fur 



LIFE OF GRANT. 309 

when he got into the head-quarters the kind-hearted General 
gave him a furlough. 

In his dress, General Grant is plain but neat. He is sel- 
dom seen in uniform, and when he is, wears no gaudy plumes 
nor trappings. In the field, he was careless of his personal 
appearance ; indeed, his mind was so much engaged he could 
give little thought to his body. A person who saw Grant in 
battle, thus writes about him : 

" Those who had never seen General Grant would scarcely 
be likely to have singled him out from the hundred others on 
the ground around Chattanooga as the man whom the country 
recognizes as having done the most, and of whom so much 
is expected, to crush the rebellion by hard blows, and of the 
exercise of those qualities which enter into a character of 
true greatness. He was there to be seen, enveloped in a 
rather huge military coat, wearing a slouched hat, which 
seemed to have a predisposition to turn up before, and down 
behind, with a gait slightly limping from his accident at New 
Orleans, giving his orders with as few words as possible, in 
a low tone, and with an accent which partook of the slight 
nervousness, intensity of feeling, yet perfect self-command, 
seen in all his movements. General Grant might be describ- 
ed best as a little old man — yet not really old — who, with a 
keen eye did not intend that any thing should escape his 
observation. At that battle he was not in his usual physical 
condition, his recent illness, added to his arduous labors, 
having made him lean in flesh, and given a sharnness to his 



o -~ -~ — ? to 






features which he did not formerly have. Those features, 
however, go far to define the man of will and self-control 
that he is. At the critical moment of the day's operations, 
the muscles appeared to gather tighter and harder over his 
slightly projecting chin, which seemed to have an involuntary 
way of working, and the lips to contract. There is in what 



310 , LIFE OF GRANT. 

he does or says nothing that has the slightest approach to 
ostentation or show, but the palpable evidence of a plain 
man of sense, will, and purpose, who has little idea that 
more eyes are turned on him than on any other man on the 
continent. From his first struggle at Belmont to his last at 
Chattanooga, the men led by him have fought more steadily, 
fiercely, and successfully than those of any other portion of 
our army. In looking back over the history of the war, the 
eye rests upon no more glorious pages than those whereon 
are written Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga.'' 

The prestige of Grant is entirely impersonal. Reticent 
and impassive, he has not the temperament which inspires 
spontaneous individual enthusiasm. You see him, and find 
it difficult to associate his personality with his deeds, and 
make them one, but you always feel you are in the presence 
of an honest, kind-hearted man, and if you want him to do 
you a favor, you will not hesitate one moment to ask him. 

Grant is an inveterate smoker, and is seldom seen with- 
out his cigar. He loves horses and always keeps two or 
three good ones. He is entirely without ostentation in his 
house and table, and is exceedingly hospitable. Every body 
and every thing about him is for use, and his servants and 
attendants are never permitted to put on airs. His duties 
are all attended to with the utmost regularity, and his sub- 
ordinates are required to be prompt and industrious. He 
is scrupulously polite in his business intercourse with his 
officers, and endeavors to have every one treated kindly who 
com-es to his head-quarters. 

There are many instances of Grant's kindness of heart, 
but two or three must here suffice : When he heard of the 
death of Colonel O'Meara, one of the officers under his com- 
mand at Chattanooga, he hastened to see the daring and 
brave man's remains, which were at the landing in a coffin, 
waiting for transportation. The General ordered the coffin 






LIFE OP GRANT. 311 

to be opened, that he might take " a last look at the gallant 
colonel of the Irish Legion." When the coffin was opened, 
the General was touched at the sight of one whom he had 
honored and publicly thanked before he had been two 
mouths in the Army of the Tennessee. O'Meara's defense 
of the trestlework, a few miles north of Holly Springs, 
Miss., when Van Dorn made a raid there in December, 
1862, and which saved Grant's army from starvation, was 
never forgotten by the General. The spectators were moved 
at the touching farewell of the commander of the Depart- 
ment of the Mississippi from the corpse of the young Irish 
soldier, who had forfeited his life in the belief that the high- 
est and best duty of all native or foreign born citizens was 
to stand by the flag which is the hope of the exile, the em- 
blem of philanthropy, and the ensign of the American 
people. 

General Quimby, one of Grant's generals, wrote him for 
a lock of his hair for his wife, who was prominent in a la- 
dies' fair. Although in the midst of his Chattanooga cam- 
paign, Grant found time to write the following kind letter : 

" My Dear Madam : The letter of my old friend and 
former class-mate, your husband, requesting a lock of my 
hair, if the article is not growing scarce from age — I pre- 
sume he means it to be put in an ornament, (by the most 
delicate of hands, no doubt,) and sold at the bazaar for the 
benefit of disabled soldiers and their families — is just received. 

" I am glad to say that the stock is yet abundant as ever, 
though time or other cause is beginning to intersperse here 
and there a reminder that winters have passed. 

" The object for which this little requisite is made is so 
praiseworthy that I can not refuse it, even though I do, by 
granting it, expose the fact to the ladies of Rochester, that 
I am no longer a boy. Hoping that the citizens of your 



312 



LIFE OF GRANT. 






city may spend a happy week, commencing to-morrow, and 
that this fair may remunerate most abundantly, 

"I remain, truly your friend, 

" IT. S. GRANT." 

A political committee at Philadelphia called at the arsenal 
to inquire how certain workmen were going to vote. One 
man, an old soldier, named Owens, told the committee it was 
none of their business how he would vote, and was so saucy 
that on the recommendation of the committee he was forth- 
with discharged. " I will go and see General Grant about 
this," said the old man. "Do," replied the chairman, "and 
be sure and let the committee know what he says." 

Filled with wrath, the old soldier trudged off, amid the 
laughter of the by-standers, and went directly to the city, 
where General Grant was temporarily residing. Going up 
to the door-bell he boldly rang it, and a moment afterward 
stepped into the hall, where he met a servant coming to an- 
swer the bell. Seeing a coarse and rusty looking old man, 
the servant said sharply, "What do you want, sir?" 

" I want to see General Grant and have an interview," 
replied the old man. 

" The General is busy just now and can't see you, but I'll 
take your card up." 

Just then a little girl appeared on the stairs, and the old 
soldier, turning from the servant, said to her, " Sissy, run 
up stairs and tell your Pap an old Fourth Infantry man is 
down here and wants to see him." The child bounded 
away, and a moment afterward the little voice was heard at 
the head of the stairs shouting down, " Papa says come up, 
old soldier man." 

The old man went up, and conducted by the child, entered 
a room where the General was seated, 



with his cigar 



at a 



desk, writing. Shaking the General by the hand he said, 
"You don't remember me, General, do you?" 



LIFE OF GRANT. 313 

"No," said Grant, looking at him, "I see so many people 
nowadays you know, I can't remember them all." 

"Well, I'm Lcm Owens, one of your old soldiers; you 
commanded me when you was a lieutenant in the old regi- 
ment. I'm in trouble, General, and I come down here to get 
you to help me out, if you will. I have a large family, and 
they have discharged me from the arsenal, 'cause why them 
politiciner fellows wanted to know, and I wouldn't tell 
them, how I was going to vote." 

Grant turned to his desk and wroto : 

" To The bearer of this, Lem Owens, an old soldier 

of mine, who has a large family to support, tells me he has 
been discharged. I particularly desire that he shall be re- 
employed. U. S. Grant, General." 

Reading it to the soldier, he said, " I guess that will fix 
you all right." "Let me have that ere dociment," said the 
old soldier. "Lord, Gineral, how them political chaps' eyes 
will bulge out when they see it, for they all thought so great 
a man as you would not bother with the troubles of a poor 
old soldier, but I knew better, Gineral, and I told them so, 
when they laughed at me." 

Armed with his paper, the old soldier went back to the 
arsenal and was immediately reemployed. 

Lincoln loved Grant, and took every opportunity to honor 
and reward him for his great services. These truly great 
men had none of that petty jealousy in their natures which 
so often manifests itself in the public men of our day. Often 
Lincoln and Grant wrote each other privately, and each en- 
tered largely into the thoughts of the other. 

At a celebration, on the 22d of February, before the sur- 
render of Vicksburg, while all around were drinking toasts 
in sparkling champagne, General Grant, pushing aside a 
glass of wine, and taking up a glass of Mississippi water, 



314 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



remarked: "This suits the matter in hand/'* drink to the 
toast, " God gave us Lincoln and Liberty ; let us fight for 
both." 

One day when Grant was before Petersburg with his 
army, Secretary Stanton, who felt uneasy about the safety 
of Washington, went to the President, and said: "Had we 
not better order Grant to send more troops to cover Wash- 
ington ? " " Look here, Stanton," replied Lincoln, in his 
simple way ; " you and I have been issuing orders to the 
Army of the Potomac for about four years, and I do n't see 
as we have accomplished much by it; now, suppose we let 
Grant alone and see how he will make out with the 
matter." 

And Grant was left alone, for be it said to the credit of 
Mr. Lincoln's good sense and judgment, he would never in- 
terfere with Grant's plans, or allow any one else to do so. 

In many of his orders and dispatches, Grant devoutly re- 
cognized the providence of God, and his reliance upon it, as 
being the chief strength of nations and men; and if he ever 
swears, the religious world may be certified that his oaths 
are in the same category with those of my Uncle Toby and 
of Washington at Monmouth. He is phlegmatic, but not 
insensible ; cool, but not without enthusiasm ; habitually 
grave, with a simple dignity, but easily approachable by all, 
even to the poorest private ; in speech, laconic, but un- 
affected; no official non-committal about him; clear-headed, 
forgetting nothing, arranging details easily in his capacious 
brain, without much reliance upon red tape ; blushing when 
praised, and bearing both praise and blame with silent mag- 
nanimity. Above all, he combines what Guizot has called 
the "genius of common sense" with a determination to "go 
ahead." 

His justice to his subordinate officers has always been a 
matter of comment in Grant's military career, even of those 



LIFE OF GRANT. 315 

who divided with him the national esteem. He never seemed 
in the least jealous, but rejoiced as heartily as any one over 
their success. Thus he was the first to congratulate Sheri- 
dan on his brilliant victories in the Valley; and not only 
thanked, but praised Thomas for defeating Hood at Nash- 
ville. So, too, when Sherman fell under the national dis- 
pleasure for his treaty with Johnston, Grant kindly took 
him by the hand, corrected his mistake, and presented his 
great fellow-soldier to the nation as worthy of their greatest 
confidence. Of Sherman, Grant wrote to the President: 

"To General Sherman I was greatly indebted for his 
promptness in forwarding to me, during the siege of Fort 
Donelson, reinforcements and supplies from Paducah. At 
the battle of Shiloh, on the first day, he held with raw 
troops the key-point to the landing. To his individual 
efforts I am indebted for the success of that battle. Twice 
hit, and several (I think three) horses shot under him on that 
day, he maintained his position with raw r troops. It is no 
disparagement to any other officer to say that I do not be- 
lieve there was another division commander on the field who 
had the skill and experience to have done it. His services 
as division commander in the advance on Corinth, I will 
venture to say, were appreciated by the new General-in- 
Chief beyond those of any other division commander. 

" General Sherman's arrangement as commander of troops 
in the attack on Chickasaw Bluffs, last December, was ad- 
mirable. Seeing the ground from the opposite side from the 
attack, I saw the impossibility of making it successful. The 
conception of the attack on Arkansas Post tvas General Sher- 
man's. His part of the execution, no one denies, was as 
good as it possibly could have been. His demonstration at 
Haines' Bluff, in April, to hold the enemy about Vicksburg, 
while the army was securing a foothold east of the Missis- 
sippi; his rapid marches to join the army afterward; his 



316 



LIFE OF GRANT. 



management at Jackson, Mississippi, in the first attack ; 
his almost unequaled march from Jackson to Bridgeport, 
and passage of Black River; his securing Walnut Hills on 
the 18th of May, and thus opening communications with our 
supplies, all attest his great merit as a soldier. The siege of 
Yicksburg and last capture of Jackson and dispersion of 
Johnston's army, entitle General Sherman to more credit 
than usually falls to the lot of one man to earn. The pro- 
motion of such men as Sherman always adds strength to our 
arms." 

Grant "wrote equally strong recommendations of McPher- 
son, Sheridan, and other officers ; always securing them pro- 
motions whenever he could, and doing all in his power to 
have full justice done to every officer according to his mer- 
its and the services he rendered the nation. 

Such is the great American soldier and patriot; such — 
Ulysses Grant, who now offers himself to the people, and 
asks their suffrages for the highest and most honorable office 
in their gift. Who more worthy? Who so deserving? What 
citizen can refuse him ? 



LIFE OF GRANT. 317 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' NATIONAL CONVENTION AT CHICAGO — THE PROCES- 
SION — THE EAGLE " OLD ABE " — THE HALL THE SCENES CONVENTION 

CALLED TO ORDER GOVERNOR FAIRCHILD TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN HIS 

SPEECH — THE COMMITTEES GOVERNOR HAWLEY's SPEECH — REMARKS OF 

GENERALS SICKLES, HALSTEAD, AND OTHERS — PERMANENT ORGANIZATION 
GENERAL LOGANS REMARKS GRANTS FATHER HIS SPEECH AD- 
DRESSES BY GENERAL COCHRANE, MAJOR HAGGERTY, AND o'cONNER 

COLONEL STOKES, OF TENNESSEE THE RESOLUTIONS — GRANT UNANI- 
MOUSLY NOMINATED BY HIS COMRADES FOR PRESIDENT GREAT ENTHU- 
SIASM — THE LARGEST DELEGATED CONVENTION EVER ASSEMBLED AD- 
JOURNMENT OF THE CONVENTION. 

On the 19th of May, 1868, a convention, composed of 
General Grant's comrades from all parts of the Union, as- 
sembled at Chicago, for the purpose of nominating him for 
the high office of President. They marched through the 
streets, headed by brass bands and carrying the famous Avar 
eagle "Old Abe," a bird that had been carried through the 
Avar by a "Wisconsin regiment. Many of the delegations 
were led by the Governors of their States, and scores of the 
most distinguished generals in the late war marched in the 
procession. Over one thousand delegates, representing all 
the States and Territories in the Union, sat down in the im- 
mense Turners' Hall, which was beautifully decorated with 
flags and mottoes. As the well-known generals of the war 
Btepped upon the platform, and the soldiers recognized their 
old leaders, cheer after cheer broke forth, and a scene of 
the wildest enthusiasm ensued, such as had never before 
been witnessed in this country. There were hand-shakings 



318 LIFE OF GRANT. 

and meetings after years of separation, such as can only 
take place between men who have shared together the dan- 
gers of the battle-field. 

At noon, Major William S. Morse, Chairman of the Sol- 
diers' and Sailors' National Executive Committee, called 
the Convention to order, and the Rev. John Fellows, of 
Wisconsin, offered up an eloquent and fervent prayer. Gov- 
ernor Fairchild, of Wisconsin, a one-armed soldier, was 
chosen temporary chairman, and on taking the chair said : 

" Gentlemen of the Convention: In behalf of the State 
of Wisconsin, whose soldiers you have honored to-day in 
the selection of myself as temporary chairman, I thank you. 
I shall receive it as an honor to the State and to the soldiers 
of Wisconsin. I do not take it as personal. I am very 
glad, indeed, my friends, to meet so many of the old soldiers 
of the Union army. I was glad last night, at a little meet- 
ing of a few delegates to know why we came here. I un- 
derstand we came here representing nearly a million of loyal 
hearts. We came here to muster in for three years or the war ; 
we came to swear by the love we bore those men that we Aviil 
never — we can swear by the good old flag Ave fought for 
— we came here to swear by the widows and orphans of our 
comrades — that Ave will never give up the fight until this 
country is reconstructed upon the basis of equal and exact 
justice to all men. Do you swear it for your com- 
rades? No man in this land, my friends — no one could 
have fought better than our soldiers did. And, as Ave say 
upon our great Wisconsin banner, thus it will again be with 
them in every State of the Union. The Union soldiers will 
fight as they fought when the Union men of the South de- 
manded a certain plan of reconstruction with a plainly writ- 
ten constitution, and the rebels South demanded another 
plan of reconstruction. I say the Union soldiers North — 



LIFE OF GRANT. 819 

all good friends of the Union — the soldiers of the North 
will give t.o the Union men of each State that plan of recon- 
struction which they asked, until, in every section of the 
South, in every school district — I hope they will have 
school districts in the South — a Union man can stand up 
before God and declare his life for the Union, the flag, and 
the country. The fight will continue, and Ave will be at the 
front." 

Lieutenant Thomas C. Donelson, of Ohio; Major A. C. 
Tates, of New York; Capt. H. H. Thomas, of Tennessee; 
W. A. Short, D. C; Major 0. M. Wilson, of Indiana, and 
Lieutenant Samuel Reeves, of New Jersey were chosen 
temporary Secretaries of the Convention. 

A committee, consisting of Dr. J. Y. Cantwell, of Ala- 
bama ; J. W. Fuller, of Arkansas; Captain J. T. Lithald, of 
California ; Captain AY. H. Tubbs, of Connecticut ; General 
Loveland, of Delaware; General Ranboum, of Florida; 
General "Watson, of Georgia; General J. L. Beveridge, of 
Illinois ; General Kimball, of Indiana ; E. W. Rice, of 
Iowa ; J. P. Blunt, of Kansas ; R. B. Harris, of Kentucky ; 
E. P. Dowe, of Maine; Major Ben Periey Poore, of Massa- 
chusetts; C. G. Lowdney, of Minnesota; Colonel M. L. 
Demott, of Missouri; Colonel Geo. F. Burnham, of Mary- 
land; General Henry Baxter, of Michigan; Colonel J. M. 
Clarrington, of Nebraska; Captain R. H. Lee, of New 
Jersey ; Captain G. F. Lee, of North Carolina ; Major E. 
W. Farr, of New Hampshire ; General Pleasanton and Gen- 
eral Samuel A. Yoman, of Ohio; J. H. Stewart, of Penn- 
sylvania; B. F. Whittemore, of South Carolina; General W. 
W. J. Smith, and Colonel J. H. Lock wood, of Virginia ; 
Lieutenant-Colonel W. W. Grant, of Vermont, and General 
J. S. Allen, of Wisconsin, was appointed on permanent 
organization. 

A Committee on Resolutions was appointed, as follows: 



320 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Colonel R. M. Reynolds, of Alabama; Colonel J. E. Cowen, 
of California; Colonel A. H. Grimshaw, of Delaware; Gen- 
eral John A. Logan, of Illinois ; General W. M. Stone, of 
Iowa; Colonel B. II. Rristow, of Kentucky; General 
George F. Shepley, of Maine; Colonel Edwin F. Stone, 
of Massachusetts ; Colonel Aiken, of Minnesota ; Colonel 
W. Grosvens, of Mississippi ; General Titus, of New Hamp- 
shire ; General Dennis T. Burke, of New York ; General 
F. Sawyer, of Ohio ; General Charles H. Hopkins, of Rhode 
Island; Lieutenant-Colonel Robert K. Smith, of Texas; W. 
S. McCullough, of Arkansas ; Colonel J. H. Lockwood, of 
West Virginia; General Charles Crow, of Indiana; General 
E. M. Lee, of Connecticut; B. R. Anthony, of Kansas; 
Captain E. Pinchbloss, of Louisiana; General R. H. Rich- 
ardson, of Maryland; General W. Stoughton, of Michigan; 
H. T.Fisher, of Mississippi; Captain B. Hall, of Nebraska; 
W. S. Davenport, of New Jersey, and J. C. Mann, of North 
Carolina. 

While the committees were out, General Hawley, of Con- 
necticut was loudly called for, and, in response, delivered an 
eloquent speech. Among other things he said : 

" General Grant was undoubtedly the people's choice, and 
next November will see him elected President of the United 
States. So far as the Southern people are concerned, he 
would say that whenever they manifest a desire to return 
to the good old Union, and act like good citizens, he' was 
in favor of throwing around them the protection of the Gov- 
ernment. It made no difference whether that citizen was 
white or black-, he was a citizen still. lie believed that, if 
necessary, two million ' Boys in Blue ' would come again and 
protect him in his rights." 

General Halsted, of New Jersey; Major O'Conner, of 
New York, and the hero, General Daniel E. Sickles, of New 
York, next made stirring speeches, saying the Convention 






LIFE OF GKANT. 



321 



had assembled to choose a successor to the lamented 

Lincoln, favoring the nomination of General Grant, and 

counseling the soldiers throughout the land to stand firmly 

by their chieftain in the coming political campaign as they 

stood by him during the war. 

The Committee on Permanent Organization, reported : 
For President, General John A. Logan, of Illinois. 
Vice-Preside a is. Secretaries. 

Alabama Col. R. T. Smith. Capfc. 13. P. Williams. 

Arkansas Gen. IT. B. Morse. Col. S. II. .Root. 

California Gen. P. S. Conner. Col. James Cary. 

Connecticut Col. Charles Warren. Lieut. J. M. Knowisen 

Delaware A. F. A. Torbett. Col. W. Lamott. 

Florida Capt.Rowlan Rombanes. Lieut. T. B. Carroll. 

Georgia Capt. W. H. Watson. Capt. E. B. McTimony. 

Illinois Gen. Julius White. Gen. E. S. Solomon. 

Indiana Gen. R. S. Foster. Major 0. Wilson. 

Iowa Gen. C. L. Mathias. Capt. C. F. Gardner. 

Kansas Capt. W. G. Karimer. Col. G. \Y. Veal. 

Kentucky Gen. John P. Croxton. Capt. Jas. M. Fidler. 

Louisiana Gen. AY. L. McMillan. Capt. P.B S.Phinchbaek. 

Maine Gen. G. L. Beall. Geo. H. M. Plaister. 

Maryland Gen. A. W. Dennison. Capt. II. Parison. 

Massachusetts Gen. J. S Cunningham. Col R. G Asher. 

Michigan Gen. 0. L. Spalding. Capt. E Weeks. 

Minnesota Gen. C. C. Andrews. Col. J. G. Gee. 

Missouri Gen. H. W. Barry. Col. A Warner. 

Missouri Gen. John McNeill. Gen. Draper. 

Nebraska Col. A. J. Harding. Major John Gillespie. 

&ew Hampshire Capt. J.B.Clark. Chaplain Lovering. 

New Jersey Col. W. Ward. Lieut. L. C. Reeves. 

New York Gen. C. K. Graham. Major A. G Tate. 

North Carolina Gen. S. G. Eslis. Major S. C. Mann. 

Ohio Gen. Oliver Wood. Gen. J. M. Marsh. 

Pennsylvania Gen. H. L. Cape. Col. II. C. Alleman. 

Rhode Island Gen. C. II. Tompkins. Capt. G. B. Bi k. 

South Carolina Chap. B. F. Whittemore.Sergt. II. E. Hayne. 

Tennessee Gen. John B. Rodgers. Capt. II. B. Hudson. 

Texas Major A. II. Longley. Dr. B. K. Smith. 

2X 



322 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Vice-Presidents . Secretaries. 

Vermont Gen. Stephen Thomas. Private Henry Conglon, 

Virginia Gen. H. A. Fierce. Capt. George Tucker. 

West Virginia Col. P. H. Lockwood. Capt. W. J. Purely. 

Wisconsin Gen. C. S. Hamilton. Capt. Henry Harshan. 

Dist. of Columbia Gen. N. P. Chipinan. Private Wm. A. Short 



Governor Faircliild having announced that the father of 
General Grant was in the house, loud calls were made for 
him, and, amid great cheering he was led forward. The 
convention received him standing, and called for a speech. 
He is a very old man, and, on that occasion, carried a blue 
cotton umbrella under his arm, which, as the day was bright 
and clear, amused the boys very much. Adjusting his 
spectacles and depositing his umbrella with the President 
for safe keeping, the venerable man said with deep emotion: 
"Soldiers ! I thank you for asking me to speak to you. 
Oh! it fills my heart with gratitude when I think that one 
of my children led this great band of brave men through 
a successful war for the Union. I was too old to do much 
in the war, and I do n't know why I should be called upon 
to speak to so many distinguished and brave men." Here 
a soldier rose up in the .convention and said: "Never mind, 
father Grant, you gave us a boy to lead us — that was 
enough." The house shook with applause, and Mr. Grant 
continued for some time speaking in an eloquent and ap- 
propriate manner. 

General Logan, on being conducted to the chair, made an 
able speech, thanking the soldiers for the honor conferred 
upon him, but said he could not take the chair from one so 
eminently worthy to preside as Governor Fairchild. He 
then retired amid a storm of applause, and the one-armed 
governor resumed his duties as President of the Convention. 
He w r as deeply affected by the delicate mark of respect paid 



LIFE OF GRANT. 323 

him, and again thanked the gallant general find the soldiers 
for the honor of presiding over their deliberations. 

General Cochrane and Major Haggerty next made amus- 
ing and interesting speeches, and were followed by Colonel 
Stokes, of Tennessee. 

General Logan, Chairman of the Committee on Resolu- 
tions, reported as follows : 

"Resolved, That the soldiers and sailors, steadfast now as 
ever to the Union and the flag, fully recognize the claims 
of General Ulysses Grant to the confidence of the American 
people; and believing that the victories achieved under his 
guidance in war, will be now illustrated by him in times of 
peace by such measures as shall secure the fruits of our 
exertions, and the restoration of the Union upon a loyal 
basis, we declare it as our deliberate conviction, that he is 
the choice of the soldiers and sailors of the Union for the 
office of President of the United States. 

"Resolved, That in the maintenance of those principles 
which underlie our Government, and for which we fought 
during four years of war, we pledge our earnest and active 
support to the Republican party, as the only political 
organization which, in our judgment, is true to the princi- 
ples of loyalty, liberty, and equality before the law. 

"Resolved, That, speaking for ourselves and the soldiers 
and sailors who imperiled their lives to preserve the Union, 
we believe that the impeachment of Andrew Johnson by the 
House of Representatives, for high crimes and misdemeanors 
in office, and his trial before the United States Senate, have 
presented unmistakable proofs of his guilt, and that what- 
ever may be the judgment of the tribunal before which he 
is arraigned, the verdict of the people is ' guilty;' and we 
regard any Senator who has voted for acquittal as falling 
short of the proper discharge of his duty in this hour of the 



1 



324 LIFE OF GRANT. 

nation's trial, and as unworthy of the confidence of a brave 
and loyal people. 

"Mesolved, That the soldiers and sailors recognize no 
difference between native and adopted citizens, and they 
demand that the Government protect the naturalized citizen 
abroad as well as those of native birth." 

On motion of General W. M. Gregg, of New York, the 
resolutions were unanimously adopted, amid cheers for 
Grant. 

The following additional resolutions were unanimously 
passed. 

On motion of Colonel Alleman, of Pennsylvania, it was 

"Resolved, That a committee of nine be appointed to 
wait upon General U. S. Grant, and present him a copy 
of the resolutions of the Soldiers' and Sailors' National 
Convention." 

The chairman announced the committee of nine, pro- 
vided for in Colonel Alleman's resolution, as follows : Col- 
onel H. C. Alleman, General W. M. Gregg, General D. E. 
Sickles, General John A. Logan, General A. Pleasanton, 
General J. T: Hartcauft, Colonel W. B. Stokes, Captain A. 
Grant, and Governor James W. Hawley. 

On motion of W. S. Andrews, it was — 

"Resolved, That we, the soldiers of the republic, extend 
to the loyal men of the South our sympathy, and the 
promise of our- support in the struggles yet in store for 
them under the present administration, before they can 
enjoy the liberties of American citizens, without fear of 
prosecution and assassination, and that, if necessary, we 



LIFE OF GRANT. :J2f> 

stand ready to aid them with our strength in the future aa 
we have in the past." 

On motion of Colonel Hempstead, the following preamble 
and resolutions were adopted : 

"Whereas, Many of the late defenders of the Union 
being now out of employment, and they and their families 
Buffering privation by reason of sacrifices during the war ; 
therefore, 

"Resolved, By us, the soldiers and sailors of the republic 
in the late war, in national convention assembled on the 
19th day of May, 1868, that we hold it to be the duty of the 
administrators of the national and state governments to 
carry into practical effect a substantial gratitude to the 
defenders of the nation, in bestowing upon those of our 
comrades who are needy, employment in the offices of 
manual and clerical labor. 

Resolved, That the Chairman of the Convention send a 
copy of these resolutions to the Chairman of the National 
Republican Convention." 

On motion of General Daniel E. Sickles, of New York, 
the Convention adjourned, subject to the call of the Presi- 
dent, and thus ended the first Soldiers' and Sailors' Political 
National Convention, it having been the largest delegate 
body ever assembled in the United States. 



326 LIFE OF GRANT. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

NATIONAL KEPUBLICAN CONVENTION AT CHICAGO GENERAL SCHURTZ MADE 

TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN HIS SPEECH PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION 

THE COMMITTEES — PERMANENT ORGANIZATION SPEECH OF GOVERNOR 

HAWLEY — SOLDIERS RECEIVED ELOQUENT SPEECH BY GOVERNOR FAIR- 
CHILD — SECOND DAY'S PROCEEDINGS THE PLATFORM ADDITIONAL RES- 
OLUTIONS — logan's speech — general grant unanimously nomi 

NATED THE VOTE BY STATES THE ANNOUNCEMENT — WILD SCENES IN 

THE CONVENTION THE EFFECT OF THE NOMINATION UPON THE PEOPLE 

NOMINATION OF A VICE-PRESIDENT. 

Lsr obedience to the call of the National Republican 
Committee, a convention assembled at Chicago, on the 20th 
day of May, 1868, to nominate for the Republican party 
candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the 
United States. 

The body was called to order at twelve o'clock by Gov- 
ernor Ward, of New Jersey, and Bishop Simpson offered up 
an earnest prayer. By direction of the National Committee, 
Governor Ward nominated General Carl Schurtz for tem- 
porary chairman, and that gentleman, having been unani- 
mously elected, was conducted to the platform by Lyman 
Tremaine, of New York, and Richard W. Thompson, of 
Indiana. On taking the chair, General Schurtz made an 
eloquent speech, and closed by declaring: 

" The Republican party will not be ended until the great 
truth proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, in the 



LIFE OF t;KA.\T. :\21 

fullest meaning of the term, shall have become a living 
reality. [Applause.] Yes, let us be true to our history, be 

true to ourselves, and fear nothing. No step backward 

'Onward!' is the watchword. Let us see again the banner 
cf progress, of liberty, of equal rights, of national faith 
nailed to the very top of the mast, and I say to you I 
spurn the idea that the American people could ever so far 
forget themselves as to throw their destinies into the hands 
of men who, but yesterday, sought to destroy the republic, 
and who, to-day, stand ready to dishonor it." [Loud and 
continued applause.] 

After settling the cases of contested seats, and deciding 
to admit the delegates from the Territories and Southern 
States, the Convention proceeded to appoint the following 
important committees: 

Committee on Organization. — California, W. E. Lovett ; 
Colorado, John Evans; Connecticut, A. H. Byington; Dela- 
ware, Wilson L. Sumner; Florida, B. C. Chamberlain; 
Georgia, W. II. Watson ; Illinois, Amos C. Babcock ; 
Indiana, George A. Buskirk ; Iowa, Seth IT. Crane; Kansas, 
John A. Bartlett; Kentucky, Oscar H. Burbridge ; Louisi- 
ana, George C. Penance; Maine, Walz Hubbard; Massachu- 
setts, Alfred R. Field ; Michigan, Hampton Briggs ; Minne- 
sota, P. C. Amberly ; Nebraska, E. C. Stevens; Nevada, 
H. II. Beck; New Hampshire, John H. Bailey; New Jersey, 
Thomas II. Bartlett; New York, Hamilton Harris; North 
Carolina, Wm. B. Myers; Ohio, Israel Green; Pennsyl- 
vania, James Orne ; Rhode Island, Lysander Flagg ; South 
Carolina, B. F. Whittemore; Tennessee, L. C. Blank; 
Texas, A. II. Longley ; Vermont, William II. Grout; Vir- 
ginia, F. A. Kimble; West Virginia (name not understood). 

E. Scott Sloan, of Maryland, declined to name a commit- 
tee-man until her contested State should be settled. 



d*J5 LIFE OF GRANT. 

Committee on Resolution*. — Alabama, David C. Upton; 
Arkansas, AA T . D. Morse ; Connecticut, J. N. Woodman ; 
Delaware, D. S. Taylor; Illinois, Herman Paston ; Indiana, 
Richard AA r . Thompson; Iowa, George AY. Dodge; Kansas, 
B. F. Simpson ; Kentucky, Charles Eggleston ; Louisiana, 
L. AY. Eugene ; Massachusetts, Francis W. Bird ; Maryland; 
John L. Holmes, Jr.; Michigan, R. R. Beecher ; Minnesota, 
R. McClarin; Mississippi, R. L. Van Horn; Nebraska, R. 
AY. Turner; Nevada, C. E. Dedong ; New Hampshire, 
James T. Briggs; New Jersey, John Davidson; New York, 
Charles Andrews; North Carolina, L. D. Hess; Ohio, John 
C.Lee; Oregon, II. R. Kinkaid; Pennsylvania, S. E. Dim- 
mick ; Rhode Island, R. G. Hazard; South Carolina, S. 0. 
Duncan; Texas, George AY. Pascall ; Vermont, AY. H. 
Johnson; Virginia, Lysander Hill; AA T est A r irginia, R. S. 
Brown ; Wisconsin, II. Ruble. 

Committee on Business. — Alabama, George M. Reynolds; 
Arkansas, H. Gardsell ; California, R. P. Chapin ; Connec- 
ticut, D. L. Sayler; Delaware, J. J. Jenkins; Florida, B. 
P. Chamberlain ; Georgia, David G. Coffing ; Illinois, 
Emory A. Stout; Indiana, G. K. Steele; Iowa, K. M. Holt; 

Kansas, W. B. ; Kentucky, T. J. Pickett; Louisiana, 

A. J. Sypher; Maine, AA r . E. Harriman; Massachusetts, T. 
Howe; Michigan, W. B. Williams; Minnesota, A. H. But- 
ler; Mississippi, D. M. Williams; Missouri, J. 0. Bullins; 
Nevada, 0. R. Leonard; New Hampshire, Edwin Farr; 
New Jersey, Chas. Hildreth ; New r York, G. Barker ; North 
Carolina, F. F. French; Ohio, Thos. L. Young; Pennsyl- 
vania, Thos. E. Corcoran; Rhode Island, AY. II. Reynolds; 
South Carolina, J. C. Ebbingham ; Tennessee, Blank Lewis ; 
Texas, J. P. Keating; Vermont, G. C. Shepard; Virginia, 
John Oxford; AA^est Virginia, H. C. McAYard; AYisconsin, 
A. J. Turner. 

The Convention then adjourned until five o'clock, when it 



LIFE OF GRANT. -329 

re-assembled and proceeded to business. The Committee on 
Organization reported the name of General James R. Haw- 
ley, of Connecticut, for permanent chairman, and he was 
unanimously elected. The new president, amid great cheer- 
ing, was conducted to the chair by Ex-Governor Solomon, 
of Wisconsin, and Ex-Governor Brown, of Georgia. On 
taking his seat, Governor Hawley made an eloquent speech, 
and closed by saying : 

"Every bond, in letter and spirit, must be as sacred as a 
soldier's grave. We must win, and we shall win. It is the 
old fight of liberty, equality, and fraternity, against oppres- 
sion, caste, and aristocracy. It is the old fight to make 
the world better, ' with malice toward none, and with char- 
ity for all.' We may halt for a moment or change direc- 
tion, but the good cause always goes steadily forward. It 
is related, and whether true or not, the incident is well 
invented, that on the evening of that awful battle of the 
Wilderness, when the legions of the Union army had fought 
all day by faith rather than by sight in the tangled brush, 
that some man asked General Grant to step back and 
organize, and he replied, ' We have done very well, gentle- 
men. At half-past three in the morning we move forward.' 
We accept his spirit and his words, and perhaps I am not 
anticipating in saying we shall accept him in person as our 
leader. Thanking you again, heartily, for the honor con- 
ferred, I await the further pleasure of the Convention." 

The Convention completed its organization by appointing 
the following Vice-Presidents and Secretaries : 

Vice-Presidents — Alabama, General Warner; Arkansas, 
A. McDonald; California, James Cory; Colorado, J. B. 
Chaffee; Connecticut, W. S. Pearso.11; Delaware, L. Thomp- 
son; Florida, II. II. Moody; Georgia, Foster Blodgett ; 
Illinois, Jesse K. Dubuois ; Indiana, W. Q. Gresham ; Iowa, 



330 LIFE OF GRANT. 

J. M. Hedrick; Kansas, S. Proutty ; Kentucky, Joshua J. 
Speed ; Louisiana, W. P. Kellogg ; Maine, A. D. Fessen- 
den ; Maryland, H. Stockbridge ; Massachusetts, D. W. 
Gooch; Michigan, H. Waldron ; Minnesota, H. P. Van 
Cleve; Mississippi, Thomas L. White, Missouri, A. J. Har- 
lan; Nebraska, A. Landers, and J. M. Walker; New Hamp- 
shire, E. Gould; New Jersey, John S. Irick; New York, 
Chauncey N. Deprew ; North Carolina, A. Dockery ; Ohio, 
N. C. McFarland; Oregon, J. Failing; Pennsylvania, J. K. 
Moorehead; Rhode Island, G. Green; South Carolina, C. J. 
Stodbrand; Tennessee, T. A. Hamilton; Texas, S. D. Wood; 
Vermont, George N. Standard; Virginia, John Burch; West 
Virginia, S. D. Cares; Wisconsin, Edward Solomon. 

Secretaries— Thomas D. Foster, V. Del, C. B. Higby, F. 
B. Solomon, Joshua T. Heald, J. Rombeaur, G. W. Wilbur, 
John P. Rust, J. H. Easton, Lewis Weil, William Goodloe, 
Colonel C. W. Lowell, Stephen D. Lindsay, E. S. Waters, 
W. W. Scott, A. Worley Patterson, J. C. S. Colby, Samuel 
Maxwell, G. N. Collins, F. Ayer, R. C. Bellville, L. Cald- 
well, J. W. Holden, C. Kinney, Max Ramsey, A. C. Har- 
mer, M. R. Partner, M. Kinley, William Home, Colonel R. 
D. Ringer, Joshua T. Hoke, Charles Seymour, John H. 
Longnecker. 

A committee from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention 
was announced by the chair, and conducted to the platform 
by General Cochrane, of New York, General Schurtz, of 
Missouri, Colonel Craig, of Iowa, Mr. Cripple, of West 
Virginia, and Mr. Sweet, of Illinois. 

SPEECH OF GENERAL COCHRANE. 

Mr. President : I have the honor in behalf of the com- 
mittee recently appointed by yourself to announce that 
they have discharged the duty to which they were ap- 
pointed, and I introduce to the Convention, through your- 



LIFE OF GRANT. :)M 

self, Governor Fairchild, chairman of the committee to 
■which I referred. 

SPEECH OF GOVERNOR FAIRCHILD. 

Governor Fairchild — Mr. President and gentlemen of the 
Convention : As instructed by the members of the Soldiers' 
and Sailors' Convention, I appear before you in their be- 
half to present to you a resolution passed unanimously by 
them yesterday P. M., as follows : 

Resolved, That Ave, the soldiers and sailors, steadfast now 
as ever to the Union and flag, fully recognize the claims of 
General U. S. Grant to the confidence of the American peo- 
ple, and believing that victories won under his guidance in 
war will be illustrated by him in peace by such measures as 
will secure the fruits of our exertions, and restore the 
Union on a loyal basis, we declare our deliberate convic- 
tion that he is the choice of the soldiers and sailors of the 
Union, for the office of President of the United States. 

Gentlemen : The soldiers of the United States ask the 
nomination of General Grant for President because they love 
him, and they love him because he is loyal to the Union, 
loyal to justice, loyal to freedom, and loyal to right; and if 
you will give them their comrade as a leader in the cam- 
paign of 1868, they will bear upon the enemy's works as 
they did in the field in 1864. 

REPLY OF GENERAL HAWLET. 

President Hawley — It is hardly necessary that I should 
say such a communication is received with the warmest 
interest from Republican soldiers and by a Republican Con- 
vention. 

The committee then withdrew, and after speeches by 
Governor Brown, of Georgia, and others, the Convention 
adjourned until the next day. 



332 LIFE OF GRANT. 

SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS. 

On Thursday morning, May 21st, the Convention reas- 
sembled at ten o'clock. An immense throng was present, 
including hundreds of ladies. The six hundred delegates, 
representing every State and Territory in the Union, occu- 
pied the lower floor and part of the dress circle. The gal- 
leries were packed with people from all parts of the Union, 
and although it was a bright day, the gas was lighted up 
and greatly added to the brilliancy of the scene. The Pres- 
ident, Vice-President, Secretaries and distinguished men, to 
the number of five hundred, occupied the stage, and a full 
band discoursed delicious music from the orchestra in front 
of the foot-lights. 

After prayer by the Rev. Dr. John P. Gulliver, of Chicago, 
the Convention proceeded to business. A debate sprung 
up on entering upon the records of the Convention the res- 
olutions of the Union League, when, on motion of Judge 
Jones, of Ohio, the whole matter was laid on the table. 

By invitation of the Convention the distinguished German 
orator, Fred. Hassaurek, of Cincinnati, addressed the im- 
mense assemblage, and was followed in an eloquent speech 
by General John M. Palmer, of Illinois. Generals Logan, 
Schurtz, Cochrane and Colonel Forney, were loudly called 
for, but declined to speak. 

The Committee on Resolutions being announced, reported 
through their Chairman, Col. R. W. Thompson, of Indiana, 
the following as a platform for the Republican party : 

The National Republican Party of the United States, assembled in Na- 
tional Convention, in the City of Chicago, on the 2\st day -of May, 1868, 
make the following Declaration of Principles : 

1. We congratulate the country on the assured success 
of the reconstruction policy of Congress, as evinced by the 
adoption, in the majority of the States lately in rebellion, 



LIFE OF GRANT. o33 

of constitutions securing equal civil and political rights to 
all, and it is the duty of the Government to sustain those 
institutions, and to prevent the people of such States from 
being remitted to a state of anarchy. 

2. The guarantee by Congress of equal suffrage to all 
loyal men at the South was demanded by every considera- 
tion of public safety, of gratitude, and of justice, and must 
be maintained ; while the question of suffrage in all the 
loyal States properly belongs to the people of those States. 

3. We denounce all forms of repudiation as a national 
crime ; and the national honor requires the payment of the 
public indebtedness in the uttermost good faith to all cred- 
itors at home and abroad, not only according to the letter 
but the spirit of the laws under which it was contracted. 

4. It is due to the labor of the nation that taxation 
should be equalized, and reduced as rapidly as the national 
faith will permit. 

5. The national debt, contracted as it has been for the 
preservation of the Union for all time to come, should be ex- 
tended over a fair period for redemption ; and it is the duty 
of Congress to reduce the rate of interest thereon, whenever 
it can be honestly done. 

6. That the best policy to diminish our burden of debt is 
to so improve our credit that capitalists will seek to loan us 
money at lower rates of interest than we now pay, and must 
continue to pay so long as repudiation, partial or total, open 
or covert, is threatened or suspected. 

7. The Government of the United States should be ad- 
ministered with the strictest economy, and the corruptions 
which have been shamefully nursed and fostered by Andrew 
Johnson, call loudly for radical reform. 

8. We profoundly deplore the untimely and tragic death 
of Abraham Lincoln, and the accession to the Presidency of 
Andrew Johnson, who has acted treacherously to the people 



334 LIFE OF GRANT. 

who elected him and the cause he was pledged to support: 
-who has usurped the legislative and judicial functions; who 
has refused to execute the laws; who has used his high of- 
fice to induce other officers to oppose and violate the laws; 
who has employed his executive powers to render insecure 
the property, the peace, liberty, and life of the people; who 
has abused the pardoning power, and has denounced the 
national legislature as unconstitutional; who has persistent- 
ly and corruptly resisted, by every means in his power, 
every proper attempt at the recnostruction of the States 
lately in rebellion ; who has perverted the public patronage 
into an engine of wholesale corruption; and who has been 
justly impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and 
properly pronounced guilty thereof by the vote of thirty- 
five Senators. 

9. The doctrine of Great Britain and other European 
powers, that because a man is once a subject he is always 
so, must be resisted at every hazard by the United States, 
as a relic of feudal times, not authorized by the laws of na- 
tions, and at war with our national honor and independence. 
Naturalized citizens are entitled to protection in all their 
rights of citizenship, as though they were native-born, and 
no citizen of the United States, native or naturalized, must 
be liable to arrest and imprisonment by any foreign power 
for acts done or words spoken in this country, and, if so ar- 
rested and imprisoned, it is the duty of the government to 
interfere in his behalf. 

10. Of all who were faithful in the trials of the late war, 
there were none entitled to more especial honor than the 
brave soldiers and seamen who endured the hardships of 
campaign and cruise, and imperiled their lives in the service 
of their country ; the bounties and pensions provided by the 
laws for these brave defenders of the nation, are obligations 
never to be forgotten ; the widows and orphans of the gal- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 335 

lant dead are the wards of the people- — a sacred legacy 
bequeathed to the nation's protecting care. 

11. Foreign emigration, which in the past has added so 
much to the wealth, development, and resources, and increase 
of power to this republic, the asylum of the oppressed of 
all nations, should be fostered and encouraged by a liberal 
and just policy. 

12. This Convention declares itself in sympathy with all 
oppressed people struggling for their rights. 

Unanimously added, on motion of General Schurtz : 

Resolved, That we highly commend the spirit of magna- 
nimity and forbearance with which men who have served in 
the rebellion, but who now frankly and honestly cooperate 
with us in restoring the peace of the country and recon- 
structing the Southern State governments upon the basis 
of impartial justice and equal rights, are received back 
into the communion of the loyal people; and we favor the 
removal of the disqualifications and restrictions imposed up- 
on the late rebels in the same measure as their spirit of 
loyalty will direct, and as may be consistent with the safety 
of the loyal people. 

Resolved, That we recognize the great principles laid 
down in the immortal Declaration of Independence as the 
true foundation of democratic government, and we hail with 
gladness every effort toward making these principles a liv- 
ing reality on every inch of American soil. 

The resolutions were unanimously adopted, amid great 
cheering, swinging of hats and waving of handkerchiefs. 
The following resolution was adopted, on motion of Colonel 
Thompson : 

Resolved, That the adjournment of this Convention shall 
not work a dissolution of the same, but it shall remain as 
organized, subject to be called together again at any time 



386 LIFE OF GRAM'. 

and place that the National Republican Executive Committee 
shall designate. 

GENERAL GRANT NOMINATED. 

Mr. French, of North Carolina. I move, sir, that we now 
proceed to ballot for a candidate for President. [Great ap- 
plause and cries of "Vote."] 

General Logan, of Illinois. I rise to propound a ques- 
tion to the Chair. According to the order of business, it is 
not necessary for a vote in reference to the nomination of 
a candidate for President. Is it not the question to be an-* 
nounced by the Chair, under the rules, is the nomination of 
a President now in order? 

The President. The order of business does not prescribe 
any specific time when it shall go into order of business. 
It may delay it until after the nomination of Vice-President 
if it chooses. 

General Logan. Is it the decision of the .Chair that nom- 
inations are now in order? 

The President. Yes. 

Cries of " bully," etc. 

General Logan. Mr. President : Then, sir, in the name 
of the loyal citizens, soldiers, and sailors of this great Re- 
public of the United States of America; in the name of loy- 
alty, of liberty, of humanity, and of justice ; in the name of 
the National Union Republican party, I nominate, as the 
candidate for the Chief Magistracy of this nation, Ulysses 
S.Grant. [Here there was a storm of applause. The mass 
of the people rose to their feet, and in all the hall there was 
the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. A lady in the gal- 
lery of the house, at this point of time, let loose a tri- 
colored pigeon, which flew through the room to the stage. 
Three lusty cheers were given, upon motion of a delegate, 
for General Grant, and the band played " Hail to the Chief."] 

Mr. Bright, of South Carolina. I move, sir, that the vote 



LIFE OP GRANT. 337 

be taken by acclamation. [Cries of "No, it can't be done," 
etc.] 

The President. The rules provide the manner of tak- 
ing the vote. Give your attention to the call of the States, 
and as the call be made, let each delegation announce the 
choice of the State for the office of President. 

The Secretary then called the roll. 

THE VOTING. 

The following remarks were made by the several chair- 
men of delegates when delivering the votes of the States : 

Alabama — Through our delegation we cast eighteen votes 
for General Ulysses S. Grant. 

Arkansas — The State of Arkansas casts ten votes for 
U. S. Grant. 

California — Mr. President : We come, ten of us, some six 
thousand miles to cast her vote for General U. S. Grant. 
[Applause.] 

Colorado — Mr. President : The delegates from Colorado 
say, U. S. Grant, six votes. 

Connecticut — Mr. Chairman : Connecticut unconditionally 
surrenders her twelve votes for U. S. Grant. [Applause.] 

Dakotah — U. S. Grant, two votes. 

Delaware — The State of Delaware gives six votes for 
U. S. Grant. 

District of Columbia — The District of Columbia casts her 
two votes for U. S. Grant. 

Florida — Florida, the land of flowers, gives six votes for 
Ulysses S. Grant. 

Georgia (ex-Governor Brown) — Mr. President, the Re- 
publicans of Georgia, many of whom were original seces- 
sionists, recognizing the wisdom of the maxim, " Enemies in 
war, in peace friends," and ardently desiring the speedy 
restoration of union, harmony, peace, and good government, 
22 



338 LIFE OF GKANT. 

instruct me through their representatives now here, to cast 
eighteen votes for General Ulysses S. Grant. 

Idaho — The Territory of Idaho casts two votes for U. S. 
Grant. 

Illinois — (General Logan) — Mr. President, Illinois casts 
thirty-two votes for U. S. Grant. 

Indiana — (Mr. Lane) — Indiana casts twenty-six votes for 
U. S. Grant. 

Iowa — Mr. President, Iowa casts sixteen votes for Gen- 
eral U. S. Grant, and promises to back it up with forty 
thousand majority. 

Kansas — Mr. President, Kansas, the John Brown State, 
gives six votes for U. S. Grant. 

Kentucky — Mr. President, the State of Kentucky has 
directed my delegation to cast the vote of Kentucky, twenty- 
two votes, for Ulysses S. Grant. 

Louisiana — (General A. L. Lee) — Mr. President, the 
State of Louisiana casts fourteen votes for General U. S. 
Grant, and we propose " to fight it out on this line if it 
takes all summer." 

Maine — Maine gives fourteen votes for General U. S. 
Grant. 

Maryland — Mr. Chairman, believing that our great Cap- 
tain will crush treason in the Cabinet as he has crushed it 
in the field, Maryland, "My Maryland," gives fourteen 
votes for U. S. Grant. 

Massachusetts — Mr. President, the State of Massa- 
chusetts casts twenty-four votes for U. S. Grant. 

Michigan — Mr. President, the State of Michigan, follow- 
ing the State of Massachusetts, gives sixteen votes for U. 
S. Grant. 

Minnesota — Mr. President, the North Star State gives all 
she has, eight votes, for U. S. Grant. 

Mississippi — Mr. President, the State of Mississippi, the 



LIFE OF GRANT. 339 

home of Jefferson Davis, repudiates that traitor, and offers 
you fourteen votes for General U. S. Grant. 

Missouri — (Hon. C. Schurtz) — The State Convention of 
Missouri instructed the delegation to vote for the nomina- 
tion of U. S. Grant on a radical platform, and with full 
confidence that General Grant will carry it out, Missouri 
gives Grant twenty-two votes. 

Montana — The Missouri and Columbia Rivers are vocal 
with the name of Grant, and Montana gives him two votes. 
[Applause.] 

Nebraska — Mr. Chairman, Nebraska, the last State ad- 
mitted into the Union, and the first State to adopt impartial 
suffrage, gives six votes to U. S. Grant. 

Nevada — Mr. President, the Silver State has but six 
votes to give, but it proposes soon to have six more to give. 
It gives all it has for Grant. 

New Hampshire — New Hampshire gives ten votes for 
U. S. Grant. 

New Jersey — The delegates from New Jersey, instructed 
by her convention, and, as they believe, expressing the voice 
of the Republican party within her borders, now deliver 
their fourteen votes for U. S. Grant, the most glorious of 
soldiers, the man noted for calmness, a man of justice and 
patriotism. 

New York — The State of New York casts sixty-six votes 
for Ulysses S. Grant. 

North Carolina — Mr. President, North Carolina commonly 
known as the land of the tar-heavers, gives eighteen votes 
for U. S. Grant, and will give twice eighteen, thirty-six 
thousand votes — all of which we think will stick. [Loud 
laughter and cheers.] 

Ohio — Mr. President, Ohio has the honor of being the 
mother of our great Captain. Ohio is in line, and on that 
line Ohio proposes following this great Captain, that never 



340 LIFE OP GRANT. 

knew defeat, to fight it out through the summer, and in 
the autumn, at the great end of the contest, and to be first 
in storming the intrenchments until victory shall be secured 
and all the stars that glitter in the firmament of our glori- 
ous constellation shall again be restored into their proper 
order, and all the sons of freedom throughout the whole 
earth shall shout for joy. [Good! Good!] Ohio gives 
forty-two votes for U. S. Grant. 

Oregon — Mr. President, the State of Oregon — the most 
North-west State of this Union — the people of the State 
have directed their delegates here to cast six votes for U. 
S. Grant. 

Pennsylvania — Mr. Chairman, Pennsylvania casts fifty- 
two votes for General U. S. Grant. 

Rhode Island — Mr. President, bright-eyed " Little Rhody," 
your only sister, small in stature, and patriotic and noble, 
gives her eight votes for General U. S. Grant, and wishes 
she had more. 

South Carolina — Mr. President, the State of South Caro- 
lina, the birth-place and the home of John C. Calhoun and 
the doctrine of State Rights, first to withdraw herself from 
the Union, directs me, through her representatives, sent 
here by a Republican majority of 43,470 [Applause], re- 
turning again to the councils of those who desire only to 
preserve the Union, arm in arm, and heart to heart with 
Massachusetts [Cheers and cries of " good ! "] gives her 
twelve votes to General U. S. Grant. 

Tennessee — Mr. President, Tennessee, being one of the 
Southern States that was thrust into the rebellion, and being 
the first to reconstruct and be readmitted to the Union, and 
to-day being in the enjoyment of a liberal republican govern- 
ment, cast3 twenty votes for Ulysses S. Grant, and hopes 
never again to vote for President or Vice-President for such 
a traitor as Andrew Johnson. 



LIFE OF GRANT. 341 

Texas — Texas, through her delegation here assembled, has 
instructed me to cast twelve votes for Ulysses S. Grant, 
from the Empire State of the South, having a territory of 
275,000 square miles, and capable of sustaining the whole 
of the people. 

Vermont — The Republicans of Vermont, through their 
delegation, give ten votes for Ulysses S. Grant. 

Virginia — The State of New Virginia, raised from the 
grave that General Grant dug for her in the Appomattox, in 
in 1865, comes up here with her twenty votes and enlists 
under his banner, and they propose in next November to 
move on the enemy's works. 

West Virginia — West Virginia, in the front of the rebel- 
lion, and which never gave a Democratic majority, gives 
freely and willingly her ten votes for Ulysses S. Grant for 
President. [Applause.] Mr. Chairman, West Virginia gives 
ten votes for U. S. Grant. 

Wisconsin — Mr. Chairman: Wisconsin, the last on the 
roll of States, adds her voice to that of her sister States, 
and gives her sixteen votes for Ulysses S. Grant. 

Mr. President : Wisconsin gives sixteen votes for U. S. 
Grant. The roll is completed with the following result: 



THE VOTE FOR PRESIDENT. 

No. of Votes for 

States Delegates. Grant. 

Alabama 10 10 

Arkansas 10 10 

California 10 10 

Colorado 6 6 

Connecticut 12 12 

Delaware 6 6 

Florida. 6 6 

Georgia 18 18 

Illinois 32 32 



342 LIFE OF GRANT. 

No. of Votes for 

States. Delegates. Grant. 

Indiana 26 26 

Iowa 16 16 

Kansas..... 6 6 

Kentucky 22 22 

Louisiana 14 14 

Maine 14 14 

Maryland 14 14 

Massachusetts 24 24 

Michigan 16 16 

Minnesota 8 8 

Mississippi 14 14 

Missouri 22 22 

Nebraska 6 6 

Nevada 6 6 

New Hampshire 10 10 

New Jersey 14 14 

New York 66 66 

North Carolina 18 18 

Ohio 42 42 

Oregon 6 6 

Pennsylvania 52 52 

Rhode Island 8 8 

South Carolina 12 12 

Tennessee 20 20 

Texas 12 12 

Vermont 10 10 

Virginia 20 20 

West Virginia 10 10 

Wisconsin 16 16 

Total 636 636 



In addition to the above, Dakotah, Idaho, Montana, and 
the District of Columbia gave each two votes for General 
Grant. 

The President. Gentlemen of the Convention, you have 
given six hundred and forty-four votes for General Ulysses 



LIFE OF GRANT. 343 

S. Grant, and he is unanimously nominated for the office of 
President of the United States. 

HOW THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS RECEIVED. 

The announcement by the chair that General Grant had 
received the total vote of the Convention was received with 
the wildest applause. A curtain was withdrawn at the back 
of the stage, displaying a magnificent painting of the White 
House, with the Goddess of Liberty beckoning General 
Grant toward it. "Words can not describe the enthusiasm 
that this produced. The Convention arose, the delegates 
swinging their arms and shouting while the galleries flut- 
tered with handkerchiefs. Doves, colored red, white and 
blue, were launched from the galleries, and flying about the 
hall added a pleasing feature to the animated scene. A 
glee club came forward and sang a song composed expressly 
for the occasion, the burden of which was that they would 
" fight it out on this line if it takes all summer," while the 
Great Western Light Guard Band played several patriotic 
airs, to the intense delight of all in the Convention. 

A delegate from Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I move that 
we try our throats on three times three with swinging hats 
and waving handkerchiefs. 

They were given with a will, the band in the meantime 
playing " Rally round the flag," and delegates all joined in 
singing. 

A DISPATCH TO GRANT. 

A Delegate. I move that the President of this Conven- 
tion be authorized and requested to transmit a telegraphic 
dispatch to General Grant. 

A Delegate. I second the motion. 

The delegates still remained standing, and it was difficult 
for the President to hear any thing. 



344 LIFE OF GRANT. 

The President. The Convention will come to order. 

Three gentlemen then sang a song composed for the 
occasion. It was received with applause. 

As soon as order could be restored, the Convention pro- 
ceeded to nominate a candidate for Vice-President, of 
which we shall speak in another chapter. (See Life of 
Colfax.) 






LIFE OF GRANT. 345 



CHAPTER XX. 

HOW GENERAL GRANT RECEIVED THE NEWS OF HIS NOMINATION THE EN- 
THUSIASM IN WASHINGTON PROCESSIONS — ADDRESS TO GENERAL GRANT 

BY GOVERNOR BOUTWELL — GRANT'S REPLY RECEPTION OF THE SOL- 
DIERS AND SAILORS' COMMITTEE — PRESENTATION BY COLONEL ALLEMAN 

GRANT'S REPLY RECEPTION AT GRANT'S RESIDENCE IN THE EVENING 

— PRESENTATION OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION'S RESOLU- 
TIONS BY GOVERNOR HAWLEY — ABLE SPEECH BY HAWLEY GENERAL 

GRANTS REPLY GRANT FORMALLY ACCEPTS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINA- 
TION — CONCLUSION. 

General Grant, who had been attending to his official 
duties all day, was at his head-quarters in Washington 
when the news was conveyed to him of his nomination. He 
puffed his cigar very vigorously for a few minutes, but said 
not a word. Soon callers began to drop in to congratulate 
him, and the modest General took the first opportunity to 
steal away and retire to his house. 

In the evening a great throng of people, headed by a 
brass band, marched through the streets and proceeded to 
General Grant's residence. 

After the band played " Hail to the Chief," calls were 
made for " Grant," when he appeared at the door and was 
greeted with prolonged cheers. Representative Boutwell, 
of Massachusetts, who was standing at his side, addressed 
him as follows : 

General : This assemblage of your fellow-citizens, brought 
together without organization or previous arrangement, 



346 LIFE OF GRANT, 

have desired me to express to you their gratification at your 
unanimous nomination for President of the United States by 
the Republican Convention recently assembled at Chicago. 
The unanimity with which you have been nominated, almost, 
if not altogether without a parallel in the history of our 
country, furnishes sufficient indication of the vast majority, 
if not entire unanimity, with which the nomination will be 
sustained by the loyal people of the country. The Repub- 
lican party has not yet had an opportunity to test its ca- 
pacity for the government of the Republic in time of peace. 
We have had a war of more than four years' duration, but 
the valiant and patriotic people of this country, under your 
leadership, quelled the mightiest rebellion the world has ever 
seen against the best government ever known to mankind. 
You will be supported in the contest upon which you have 
entered by the same heroic men who were with you at Shi- 
loh, in the Wilderness, and before Richmond ; and you are 
to meet with the opposition of a comparatively few of those 
who have returned, to the support of the Union, the Consti- 
tution, and the flag of the country, and, with but few excep- 
tions, you are to be opposed by men animated by the same 
principles which animated the men engaged in the rebellion 
you were engaged in overthrowing. 

After continuing in this strain for some time Governor 
Boutwell concluded, when General Grant stepped forward 
and said : 

SPEECH BY GENERAL GRANT. 

" Gentlemen : Being entirely unaccustomed to public 
speaking, and without any desire to cultivate that power, it is 
impossible for me to find appropriate language to thank you 
for this demonstration. All that I can say is this, that to 
whatever position I may be called by your will, I shall 
endeavor to discharge its duties with fidelity and honesty of 



LIFE OF GRANT. 847 

purpose. Of my rectitude in the performance of public 
duties you will have to judge yourselves by my record 
before you." 

It will be remembered that a committee of nine were 
appointed by the Soldiers' and Sailors'* Convention to notify 
General Grant of his nomination by his old comrades in 
arms. On the 29th of May the committee discharged the 
duty assigned it. The affair came off at the house of 
General Grant, in Washington, and was witnessed by a 
crowd of people. 

After a lively hand-shaking, Colonel Alleman, of Penn- 
sylvania, delivered a few complimentary remarks. 

General Grant spoke, in reply, as follows : 

SPEECH OF GENERAL GRANT. 

"Gentlemen of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention: 
I will say, while it was never a desire of mine to be a can- 
didate for political office, it affords me great gratification to 
feel that I have the support of those who were with me in 
the war. If I did not feel I had the confidence of those, I 
would feel less desirous of accepting the position. The 
acceptance of the office is not a matter of choice, but of 
duty. Hoping, having accepted the nomination, I will 
receive your aid till next November, I must thank you, 
gentlemen, for the honor you have conferred upon me." 

There were present all the Convention Committee, with 
whom were General Gregg, Generals Rawlins, Bodeau, 
Porter, Comstock, Dent, and Babcock, and Colonels Parker, 
Webster and Lee, of the General's staff. 

After a few moments' conversation, General Grant ex- 
tended a cordial invitation to the committee to be present at 
his residence in the evening, on occasion of the formal 
presentation of the nomination of the National Republican 
Convention. 



348 LIFE OF GRANT. 

In the evening the committee attended as invited, when a 
committee similar to their own, appointed by the citizen 
convention, officially notified General Grant of his nomina- 
tion. 

At the residence of General Grant about two hundred 
persons were present, including delegates to the Convention, 
several members of Congress, General Grant's staff, and the 
ladies of the families of General Grant and Speaker Colfax. 
These two gentlemen stood side by side, and the spectators 
formed in a semicircle in front of them, thus affording a 
fall view of the proceedings. General Hawley, President 
of the Convention, delivered the following address : 

"Gentlemen: The National Union Republican party 
assembled in national convention on the 20th of this 
month, appointed us, the officers of the Convention, to wait 
upon you. In obedience to its instructions we give you a 
copy of the record of its proceedings. You will perceive 
that it was governed by the most patriotic motives. Har- 
monious, enthusiastic, and determined; we mean, in your 
own words, ' to save in peace what we won in war.' We 
mean to make it a solemn, practical reality in the United 
States, that all men are created equal, endowed by their 
Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are 
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We intend that 
there shall never be cause or opportnnity for a civil war in 
this nation, originated either by those who would enslave 
their fellow-men, or those who must fight to regain their 
freedom. We believe there can be no permanent peace 
save in justice and equal rights, the equality of all men 
before the law. We hope to see our Government reaching 
to the remotest corner and to the humblest person, securing 
to him, by impartial and irresistible power, his personal 
safety, the right to the avails of his labor, and the right and 



LIFE OF GRANT. 349 

the opportunity for physical, mental, and moral advance- 
ment. The best guarantee for the continuance of such a 
Government, is to give to all classes impartially a share in 
its management. We hear much of forgiveness and 
fraternity. We do most earnestly desire a speedy return 
of the policy and measures of peaceful time. None long 
more for a fully restored Union than those who sustained 
their Government during the late dreadful war. But the 
dead men have left a trust in our hands. We long for 
peace and good-will, but we have no friends who oppress 
their fellow-men. We do not idly and hopelessly ask for 
indemnity for the past. We do ask for security for the 
future. You will see that the Convention believes that 
integrity, simplicity, and economy in governmental affairs 
are the duties of good citizens and honorable men. It 
makes the strict fulfillment of national obligations a point 
of honor, never to be waived. While the civilized world 
recognizes a full and final payment as the only payment, 
the Union Republican party will never consent to tender 
any other. The equal rights of adopted citizens are clearly 
asserted, and all people who love our Government are 
hospitably invited to come and enjoy its benefits and con- 
tribute to its strength. The Convention spoke in nothing 
more warmly than in proffering a hearty welcome to all 
those who, lately in arms against the United States, are 
now frankly and honestly cooperating in restoring peace 
and establishing a truly free government. During the last 
three years countless indications of the people's choice for 
the next President have been converging upon yourself. 
Having made its statement of principles and purposes, the 
Convention deliberately and formally, State by State, Terri- 
tory by Territory, recorded the will of its constituents, and 
unanimously nominated you for President of the United 
States, following the work by tumultuous and long-con- 



350 LITE OF GRANT. 

tinued manifestations of joy, pride, and confidence. We 
know you will be faithful to the Constitution and the laws, 
and to the sympathies and principles that you are called to 
represent. We know that you will not seek to enforce 
upon the unwilling representatives of the people any policy 
of your own devising, for you have said that ' the will of 
the people is the law of the land.' The records of this 
war, and of your subsequent fidelity, afford the evidence 
that the nation can safely and wisely place you in the chair 
of Washington and Lincoln. In behalf of the Convention, 
we tender you its nomination for President, and solicit its 
acceptance. We can give you no higher proof of our 
gratitude for your past, or our confidence in your future. 
We propose to elect you." 

After the applause with which the above speech was 
received had ceased, General Grant replied as follows : 

"Mr. President, and gentlemen of the National Union 
Convention : I will endeavor, in a very short time, to write 
you, accepting the trust you have conferred upon me. 
[Applause.] Expressing my gratitude for the confidence 
you have placed in me, I will now say but little orally, and 
that is to thank you for the unanimity with which you have 
selected me as a candidate for the presidential office. I can 
say, in addition, that I looked on, during the proceedings at 
Chicago, with a great deal of interest, and am gratified 
with the harmony and the unity which seemed to have 
governed the deliberations of the Convention. If chosen to 
fill the high office for which you have selected me, I will 
give to its duties the same energy, the same spirit, and the 
same will that I have given to the performance of all the 
duties which have devolved on me heretofore. Whether I 
shall be able to perform these duties to your entire satisfac- 



LIFE OF GRANT. 351 

tion, time will determine. You have truly said, in the 
course of your address, that I shall have no policy of my 
own to interpose against the will of the people." 

As the General concluded his speech, there was long- 
continued applause. 

The following is General Grant's letter to General 
Hawley, formally accepting the Republican nomination for 
President : 

" Washington, D. C, May 29, 1868. 

"To General Joseph R. Hawley, President of the National Union 
Republican Convention : 

"In formally accepting the nomination of the National 
Union Republican Convention of the 21st of May, it seems 
proper that some statement of my views beyond the mere 
acceptance of the nomination should be expressed. 

"The proceedings of the Convention were marked with 
wisdom, moderation, and patriotism, and, I believe, express 
the feelings of the great mass of those who sustained the 
country through its trials. I indorse their resolutions, and, 
if elected to the office of President of the United States, it 
will be my endeavor to administer all the laws in good 
faith, with economy, and with the view of giving peace, 
quiet, and protection every-where. 

" In times like the present it is impossible, or at least 
eminently improper, to lay down a policy to be adhered to, 
right or wrong, through an administration of four years. 
New political issues, not foreseen, are constantly arising. 
The views of the public on old ones are constantly changing, 
and a purely administrative officer should be left free to 
execute the will of the people. I have always respected 
that will, and always shall. 

"Peace and universal prosperity, its sequence, with 



352 LIFE OF GRANT. 

economy of administration, will lighten the hurden of taxa- 
tion, while it constantly reduces the national debt. Let us 
have peace. With great respect, 

"Your obedient servant, 

"U. S. Grant." 

Our task is done. Our life of Grant, such as it is, is 
written, and we send it forth, hoping it may contribute, in 
some small degree, to the election of the illustrious chieftain. 
We lay down our pen, feeling very confident, indeed, that 
the American people, with that good sense and judgment 
which has heretofore characterized their public action, will, 
in November next, confer upon him that civic crown of the 
republic — the Presidency — which is not only the highest 
office in this country, but in the world. Such action would 
be alike honorable to them and the man, a fit recognition by 
a grateful people of the eminent services he rendered in 
times of great public danger, and the cap-sheaf to a life 
which, for public worth and private purity, has not been 
surpassed since the days of Washington. 



LIFE OF SCHUYLER COLFAX. 



23 



LIFE OF SCHUYLER COLFAX. 



CHAPTER I. 

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE OF COLFAX DEATH OF HIS FATHER POVERTY AND 

EARLY STRUGGLES OF THE FAMILY — HIS EDUCATION AND HABITS — HIS 
MOTHER MARRIES MR. MATTHEWS — SCHUYLER A CLERK — THEY REMOVE 
TO INDIANA COLFAX DRIVES A WAGON ACROSS MICHIGAN HIS STEP- 
FATHER SETTLES AT NEW CARLISLE — COLFAX A CLERK AGAIN THE 

"STORE AND POST-OFFICE" YOUNG COLFAX AS AN ORACLE — HIS FIRST 

ACQUAINTANCE WITH HON. JOHN D. DEFREES A FRIEND IN NEED GOES 

TO SOUTH BEND — READS LAW — IS DEPUTY COUNTY AUDITOR THE MOOT 

LEGISLATURE — WRITES FOR THE NEWSPAPERS — IS APPOINTED SENATE 
REPORTER — ESTABLISHES THE VALLEY REGISTER, AND BECOMES AN EDI- 
TOR — HIS POVERTY AND STRUGGLES SUCCEEDS AT LAST— 1 H1S POPULARITY 

WITH THE PEOPLE HELPS TO FRAME THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIANA — 

OPPOSITION TO THE BLACK LAWS — IS NOMINATED FOR CONGRESS — HIS 
DEFEAT — IS A DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTIONS OF 1848 AND 

1852, AND VOTES FOR TAYLOR AND SCOTT HIS POLITICS — PURITY OF 

HIS CHARACTER IS RENOMINATED AND TRIUMPHANTLY ELECTED TO CON- 
GRESS BEGINS HIS LEGISLATIVE CAREER. 

Forty-six years ago, in the summer of 1822, there lived 
in North Moore Street, in the city of New York, a young 
married couple, whose home has now hecome a matter of 
historical interest. The husband, a patient, hard-working 
young man, clerked in a bank, and the wife, a mere girl 
of fifteen, took care of the quiet home. These people were 
the parents of Schuyler Colfax, the next Vice-President of 

(3551 



356 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

the United States. The snme year, and before the subject 
of our sketch was born, Mr. Colfax died, and the mother, 
in affectionate remembrance of his father, named her child 
Schuyler. Left alone with her son, the grief-stricken young 
mother found it hard enough struggling with the world, but 
she bravely determined, by the help of God, to raise up 
the boy to be an honorable and useful man. 

Schuyler Colfax first saw the light on the 23d day of 
March, 1823, and was a puny, delicate child. Had the 
ancient rule been enforced to slay all puny children, Colfax, 
Alexander, Napoleon, and Grant would not long have 
troubled the world, for they were all weakly children. 

Schuyler grew up a slender, flaxen-haired, loving boy, 
seemingly too delicate to contend with the rough storms 
of life. Reared among grown people, he had no toys or 
children's plays, and was trying to earn a livelihood when 
he ought to have been in the nursery or at school. He 
was always a boy-man, and seemed from the first to under- 
stand and sympathize with his mother in her loneliness. 
To cheer and comfort her was his sole delight, and when, 
but a little child, he would appeal to her to know what he 
could do to help her along. The mother and son were all 
in all to each* other, and though widowed and fatherless, 
each felt they were not entirely alone in the world. Forty 
years have passed away since the time of which we are 
writing, but the confidence of early affection is as bright 
and pure to-day as it ever was, and Schuyler Colfax and 
his mother, by their fireside, presents one of the pleasantest 
home pictures in America. Still the strong man, wise 
statesman, and distinguished citizen is the same simple- 
hearted, loving, and dutiful son ; still the fond mother 
strokes, with tender hand, the head of her boy, though she 
is old now, and here and there threads of silver runs through 
her hair. See them on the Sabbath day, seated side by 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 357 

side in the house of God, listening to His divine word, 
praying earnestly for the peace and prosperity of the coun- 
try, and the happiness of the people and each other. Such 
is the blameless life led by the second man in the nation, 
such the upright and. honorable example set by him to the 
nation and the -world. 

Though hard pressed" by poverty, Mrs. Colfax kept her 
boy steadily at school. In those days there were no public 
schools in New York, and the education of children was 
both troublesome and expensive to what it is now. Young 
Colfax was a wonderfully apt scholar, and learned rapidly, 
being always at the head of his class. His mental organi- 
zation seemed as quick and retentive as he was physically 
delicate and sensitive. 

The boy was a great reader, constantly borrowing books 
and newspapers, and poring over them for hours. Modest 
and reticent, he always had strong convictions and opinions 
of his own, and took great delight in maintaining them. 
Those who argued with him were surprised at the extent 
of his information and the skill and ease with which he de- 
bated questions. 

When ten years of age he was well posted upon the 
political issues of the day, and was even then an earnest 
Whig. About this time Schuyler left school, and his mother 
soon afterward marrying Mr. Matthews, a commission mer- 
chant, of New York, the boy became a clerk in his step- 
father's store. Young Colfax was prompt, energetic, and 
attentive to business, but could not give over his fondness 
for oooks, and whenever he could snatch an hour from his 
duties was always found with a volume in his hands. His 
polite deportment, and of feeble disposition, made him a 
general favorite ; and hundreds of persons yet living re- 
member the pleasant boy-face that they met forty years 
ago. Mr. Matthews was not successful in business, and in 



358 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

1886 determined to try his fortunes in the then fast-grow- 
ing West. 

Thousands were turning their faces toward the setting 
sun, and one morning, as the shadows of night were leav- 
ing the earth, the Matthews family, -with all their earthly 
goods packed in a wagon, set out to seek a Western home. 
Crossing Michigan, young Schuyler, who was then thirteen 
years old, driving the wagon, the emigrants entered the 
then new State of Indiana, and halted at the little village 
of New Carlisle, fourteen miles west of South Bend, in St. 
Joseph County. 

Here Mr. Matthews opened a small store, and Schuyler 
became his clerk. Again his genial smile, and kind and 
accommodating disposition won him hosts of friends, and 
young Colfax was a great favorite with the villagers and 
country people. He prevailed on his step-father to take 
the post-office into the store, engaging to open and change 
the mails. Thus he had free access to plenty of newspa- 
pers, and could keep himself thoroughly informed on all 
that was transpiring in the country. 

Mr. Matthews' store soon became a place of resort, and 
on Saturday afternoon and at night the farmers and vil- 
lagers would gather in to hear the news. Young Schuyler 
Colfax was their oracle, and even those who took the papers 
found it more pleasant to go and hear Schuyler tell over 
what was going on than to read the paper. He was always 
thoroughly informed, and could talk in a plain, intelligent way, 
so as to make himself perfectly understood by the simple- 
hearted, honest people about him. Foreign wars, markets, 
domestic news, accidents, what they were doing at Wash- 
ington, speeches of the great men, were all at his command, 
and he related what was going on with wonderful accuracy 
and ease. That Schuyler Colfax was a " smart boy," was 
the verdict of many a villager, but not one of them dreamed 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 359 

for a moment that the pale, slender, flaxen-haired youth 
would, twenty- years later, be the foremost man in Congress, 
Speaker of the House, a candidate for Vice-President, and 
a probable future President of the United States. Colfax 
had now been four years in the store of his step-father, and 
was seventeen years old, though small for his age. 

It was mail day, and, as it came but once a week, the 
usual crowd had gathered at the " store and post-office " to 
get their mail, hear the news, and while away the even- 
ing. Among those gathered on that particular evening, 
was a stranger in the village, a tall, raw-boned young man, 
with intellectual face, who was a prominent lawyer at the 
neighboring county seat of St. Joseph. The lawyer was 
stopping over night in the village of Carlisle, and had come 
down to the post-office to borrow a paper and read the 
news. When the mail arrived, our legal friend observed 
that it was taken in charge by a light-haired, blue-eyed 
stripling, whom he had previously noticed behind the coun- 
ter. There was something in the thoughtful but pleasant 
face, and in the quick and active movement of this youth, 
which at once attracted his attention and caused him to 
observe him closely. After the mail had been assorted and 
distributed, and the crowd of villagers measurably dispersed, 
he drew him into conversation. The longer he conversed 
with him the more he became charmed with his manners 
and the intelligence which he displayed. Small of stature, 
but evidently older than his appearance indicated, witli eyes 
that fairly sparkled and danced when he became animated 
in conversation, with a face pleasing and handsome, both in 
repose and when agitated, he was a boy that could not fail 
to attract and interest the stranger. He seemed to take a 
deep interest in matters of public policy, and had already 
formed most decided political opinions. Those opinions, 
harmonizing with the views of the stranger, who was a 



300 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

leading Whig, and as such had several times represented 
the county in the legislature, led him to propose to the 
young man to accompan}^ him home and enter his office as 
a student of law. While the proposition seemed to please 
him very much, his sense of duty to his mother and his step- 
father caused him to decline the generous offer. "For," 
said he, " while our business is neither large nor lucrative, 
I have principally attended to it myself; should I go away 
I fear it would decline and not even afford us a support. 
As we have nothing laid by, and no other income to look 
to for support, I could not think of leaving, at least for the 
present." Then his new-found friend explained to him that 
the legislature, which had just adjourned, had provided for 
the office of county auditor — that if he desired to read law 
he thought he might secure his step-father the appointment 
of auditor, which would give him a better income than he 
was now receiving; that in that event he could act as deputy 
auditor and pursue the study of law while not otherwise 
engaged. This proposition, on being submitted to the boy's 
step-father, was readily accepted, his appointment as auditor 
of the county secured, and Schuyler Colfax, soon to fill the 
second place in the gift of the American people, accom- 
panied him to South Bend as his deputy, where he was to 
read law in the office of Hon. John D. Defrees, who was 
the generous stranger that had so kindly assisted him and 
his. This was the turning point in young Colfax's life. 
He was to read law during his leisure hours in Mr. Defrees' 
office, and he seems to have been very diligent in his studies, 
for it was not many months before he was an acknowledged 
expounder of State law. But he did not complete his legal 
education. We doubt if he had much of a relish for the 
dry details of statutes. 

His reading of law, however, was not confined to that 
required for exercising an auditor's duties; he found time to 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 3(31 

make himself master of its great principles, rather, however, 
for the sake of the general culture it might afford him, than 
with the view of adopting it as a profession. During this 
period, too, he was practicing himself in that facility for 
putting his thoughts on paper, which was afterward of so 
much advantage to him. A gentleman, well known in the 
philanthropic circles of New York and Brooklyn, who had 
been a schoolmate of Mr. Colfax in the Crosby Street 
school, which was the last one he attended in New York 
City, kept up a correspondence with him during those years 
of his service as deputy auditor, and says : " Schuyler's let- 
ters in those days were very interesting; they were filled 
with details concerning his studies, knotty questions which he 
wanted me to aid him in clearing up, and brilliant thoughts 
often expressed with the same felicity which now marks his 
writings." 

To such a youth, writing for the newspapers was almost a 
necessity. There had been a paper in South Bend, edited for 
some years by his friend John D. Defrees, and Colfax con- 
tributed often to its columns. Among the inevitable schemes 
of American village life, that of " a debating society " arose 
in 1843, at South Bend. In maturing outlines, somebody's 
prophetic soul caught the inspiration of a moot State Legisla- 
ture. The ayes had it, whereupon Mr. Defrees, now congress- 
ional printer, was made "Mr. Speaker," and the future 
Speaker of "The Historic Congress" found himself "the 
honorable gentleman from Newton," now a county in his pres- 
ent congressionaldistrict. Thus our fledgling orators debated 
not hackneyed didactics, but "bills," and all proceedings 
were conducted according to strict parliamentary rules, 
which, doubtless, gave rural members much perplexing study; 
yet "Newton County" faltered not. The pages of Jefferson's 
and Cushing's Manuals were carefully and thoroughly conned, 
till "thye gentleman from Newton" became as conversant with 



362 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

the rules and usages of "the House" as any presiding officer 
in our State Legislatures. This, and the habit of off-hand 
debate, -were of great advantage to him in after years, and 
contributed much to make him, as he is acknowledged to 
be, by all parties, the best presiding officer the House of 
Representatives has had for many years. 

Mr. Defrees, having now removed to Indianapolis and 
taken charge of the State Journal, procured from the Senate 
for his friend Colfax the position of Senate Reporter for 
the Journal. He was now fast laying the foundation for 
future usefulness. His two years' service at Indianapolis, as 
Senate reporter for the State Journal, gave Mr. Colfax a rarely 
clear solution of the perplexities of parliamentary usage, 
he little dreaming that the knowledge and skill thus obtained 
would later set boundaries to congressional debate and 
grandly historic legislation. 

Like rays of Empire's star, white lines of covered wagons 
followed westward. Immigrants poured in. Franklin thrift 
longed for Franklin's printing-press, and yielding to the 
solicitation of a few enterprising men, Colfax, in 1845, with 
only two hundred and fifty subscribers, began the publica- 
tion of the St. Joseph Valley Register. It was a small con- 
cern, being such a sheet as every Western settlement issues 
as a sort of flyer to a job printing business as soon as it 
has got its school-house, grocery, hotel, and blacksmith- 
shop, and begins to think about having a meeting-house. 
The "typo" out West frequently gets the start of the 
preacher, though the race is close. Those who saw Colfax 
then " at the case," describe him as a light, spindling, flaxen 
haired, boyish looking youth — clever rather in the Yankee 
than the English sense — with a delicacy of temperament 
which suggested a doubt whether he had the stamina to live 
to manhood, without the faintest suggestion that in his 
mature years he would be fifteen years in Congress, Speaker 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 



303 



of the House and the second choice of the people for 
I resident The news in those days came to South Bend 
by stage from Detroit, or up the St. Joe River to the lake 
and there was precious little of them at that. But Colfax 
made Ins paper readable, and often late in the night he 
could be found at his desk or over "the case." Mr Colfax 
was not, as many writers have supposed, a practical printer 
He never had been apprenticed to the printing business 
and knew nothing of the practical part of the "art preserv- 
ative of all arts"- until after he had commenced the publi- 
cation of The Register. With his ready tact and quick 
perception, however, and great anxiety to economise for 
has means were yet very limited, he soon mastered the art 
sufficiently to "help out of the drag," but he never attained 
to any great proficiency in the business, his editorial labors 
the busmess of the office, and other duties soon claiming his' 
enure attention. His paper was now prospering and acquiring 
influence; subscribers, advertising, and money coming in 
and the poor editor saw The Register firmly established as 
■paying institution. Still Mr. Colfax gave his entire at- 
teution to his newspaper business. Every paragraph, how- 
ever small that went into his columns, was carefully exam- 
ined, and bore the reflex of the elevated mind and thoughts 
of the ed.tor Colfax was a Whig, and his sympathies were 
ith Ins party, and he ably defended its principles; but 
hough often attacked, personally and with. scurrilous abuse, 
by the Democratic papers of that section, he never allowed 
a discourteous or abusive word in his paper. H e waa too 
thoroughly a gentleman in word, and thought, and nature 
to stoop to scurrility, and his opponents soon found that 
they injured themselves in their efforts to injure him. 

In South Bend every body liked him and believed in him. 
The magnetism of his genial face, his kindly nature, and his 
cordial hand grasp won all hearts. He was, the villagers 



364 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

said, a remarkable man, especially for a newspaper editor. 
He paid his debts; he drank no whisky; he was prudent 
and economical ; he never uttered an oath ; and though it 
was only by careful management that he avoided debt, he 
always seemed to have something to give to the poor. 

He was, during this period, steadily gaining in reputation 
as a political writer and speaker, and had now fairly estab- 
lished his claim to intellectual superiority. His county 
always stood by him; and, in 1848, he was chosen a dele- 
gate to the Whig National Convention, 'which nominated 
General Taylor for the Presidency. He was elected and 
served as one of the secretaries of that convention; and, 
after its adjournment, returned home and entered actively 
into the canvass for the nominees. 

Two years later, and at the age of twenty-seven, in 1850, 
he represented St. Joseph County in the convention which 
framed the present constitution of Indiana. In that con- 
vention, he opposed with all his ability the adoption of the 
clause preventing free colored men from settling in the 
State. His opposition to this measure caused his defeat 
for Congress the next year. In 1851, he was nominated 
for Congress, and had for a competitor Dr. Graham N. 
Fitch, an old, wily, and experienced Democratic politician, 
(subsequently the colleague of Jesse D. Bright, as Senator,) 
and in a district which for years had been Democratic by 
some thousands majority. Dr. Fitch used his opposition to 
the black laws mercilessly against him ; but, despite the 
ability, tact, and shrewdness of the old political wire-worker, 
he only distanced his young competitor two hundred and 
thirty-eight votes, in a poll of over eighteen thousand. 

In 1852, he was again elected a delegate, from Indiana, 
to the Whig National Convention. Of this body, as of its 
predecessor, Colfax was elected secretary, and took an 
active part in the nomination of General Scott for the 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 3ti5 

Presidency. He was an active worker in the campaign 
that followed, speaking often and writing much. In the 
spring of 1853, he was urged to accept another nomination 
for Congress, but declined, and Dr. Fitch was reelected by 
a majority of more than a thousand votes. 

It was the era of the Kansas-Nebraska swindle, and 
though the district which he represented was strongly op- 
posed to this measure, and his constituents used all their 
influence to dissuade him from supporting it, yet Dr. Fitch 
was so mole-eyed and so wedded to slavery that he advocated 
and voted for it steadily. 

This was too much for the good people of St. Joseph 
County. A majority of them had voted the Democratic 
ticket regularly, but they were determined to do so no 
longer. The young editor of the St. Joseph Valley Register 
was urged to accept the nomination for Congress, and did 
so. The canvass in that district, in 1854, was a memorable 
one. Colfax was very active ; the " great deep " of Democ- 
racy in Indiana was broken up, and the old hunkers laid in a 
political grave from which, it is to be hoped, they may never 
be resurrected. Early in the campaign, young Colfax, who 
had now had considerable experience as a debater, and was 
familiar with State and National politics, challenged his 
competitor to travel the district with him, and discuss before 
the people the issues involved. Colfax proved himself more 
than a match in the hustings for his opponent, and the 
people every-where acknowledged his superiority as a de- 
bater. His mild and persuasive manners, his earnest and 
eloquent declamation, carried all hearts by storm, and he 
was elected by seventeen hundred and sixty-six majority. 
lie was now thirty-one years of age when he commenced 
that brilliant career in Congress, of which wc shall speak 
hereafter, and which has continued from that time up to the 
present without a single interruption. 



366 LIFE OF COLFAX. 



CHAPTER II. 

colfax as an odd-fellow — his entrance into congress — supports 

banks for the speakership — his first speech in congress is a 

member of important committees enters the presidential cam- 
paign of 1853 is re-elected to congress his immense popularity 

is elected speaker of the xxxviii congress supports the war 

— mr. colfax's views on the national enterprises — he supports 

lincoln mr. lincoln's friendship for him colfax on the stump 

is again re-elected to congress re-elected speaker of the 

xxxix congress his popularity in the house the best speaker 

since clay remarkable ability of mr. colfax as a presiding 

OFFICER. 

Mr. Colfax has for many years been an active member 
of the order of Odd-Fellows. In 1849, he was a represen- 
tative from Indiana to the Grand Lodge of the United States, 
and was on nearly all the important committees in that body. 
In 1850, he was one of a committee of three to report on 
the propriety of founding a degree for the wives and daugh- 
ters of scarlet degree members and past officers. Messrs. 
La Rue and Kennedy, the other members of the committee, 
made a majority report against the new degree, but Mr. 
Colfax submitted so earnest a minority report that the ma- 
jority report was overruled and a female degree ordered. 
Out of Mr. Colfax's report grew what is at the present day 
known as the Daughters of Rebecca. 

In 1852, Mr. Colfax was again on all the important com- 
mittees in the national body of Odd-Fellows, and in 1854 
lie was nominated for Grand Sire of the Order. On the 
first ballot he received the highest number of votes cast, 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 367 

but after a close contest was beaten by Mr. Elliston, of 
Massachusetts. A prominent Odd-FelloAv said not lon< Y 
since he would rather be Grand Sire of the Order than 
President of the United States. We believe Mr. Colfax is 
still a prominent member of the organization. 

Exactly sixteen years from the time Colfax entered the 
office of his friend as a student at law, he entered, for the 
first time, the capitol of the nation as a representative of 
the people. Two years before, he had competed with the 
able ai^l wily Dr. Fitch for the prize, which he then barely 
lost, and now, in the second race, triumphantly won, in a 
district largely Democratic. 

He took his seat in Congress at the time of the protracted 
struggle in regard to the election of a Speaker, which ter- 
minated in the choice of Nathaniel P. Banks, and he aal- 
lantly plunged into the contest. His maiden speech took 
the whole House by surprise. It not only demonstrated 
that he was even then one of the ablest debaters in the 
House, but its eloquence, its logical power, and its graphic 
portrayal of the real condition of Kansas, and of the iniquity 
of the border ruffian movement made it one of the most 
effective speeches ever delivered in that body. It was a 
bold and fearless rebuke of the slave power, made in the 
teeth of its fire-eating representatives. It was methodical 
in- arrangement and powerful in argument — every charge 
was clinched with such proofs as none dared to dispute. With 
the terrible experience we have since had — with the facts 
of all the villainies, rascality, and inhumanity of the leaders 
of the late rebellion still fresh in our memories, it is hardly 
possible to read and believe that all the charges he then made 
and sustained against the Democratic party were true. Put 
such they were. No one dared to dispute them then, none 
will dare do so now. This speech, delivered by one of the 



368 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

youngest members of the House, became the principal 
Presidential campaign document of the contest of that year. 
Over one-half million copies of it were printed in Washing- 
ton, Philadelphia, and New York, to say nothing of the 
wide circulation it received through the columns of the Re- 
publican press of the country. Such a compliment we be- 
lieve was never before paid to any member of Congress — 
certainly not to the maiden speech of one of the youngest 
members of the House. 

He was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Post- 
offices and Post-roads on the organization of the Thirty- 
seventh Congress, and did much to extend mail facilities 
throughout the West. He was one of the first advocates, 
and is still one of the warmest friends, of the Pacific Rail- 
road. Indeed, he takes a warm interest in any movement 
looking to the development of the boundless resources of 
the great West. 

Into the Presidential contest of 1856, the first of the 
Republican party, Mr. Colfax entered with all his zeal and 
enthusiasm. The banner of Fremont and Dayton was 
borne aloft in his paper, and his eloquent appeals in its be- 
half rang through all the States of the West. Victory was 
perhaps hardly to be expected for a new party at its first 
trial, but never was a fight more gallantly conducted. 

The people of Northern Indiana knew and honored the 
talents and worth of their representative. By that person- 
al magnetism which he possesses in larger measure than 
most men, he had drawn all hearts to him, and although 
the political causes which had aided him in 1854 no longer 
existed, the people -still adhered to him, and in 1856 re- 
turned him to Congress by over one thousand majority. 
Perhaps the only cause of complaint Mr. Colfax has against 
his district is the continual majorities that have expelled 
him east of the mountains. Never for one moment has the 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 369 

confidence of the people in him flagged, and from 1855 to 
the present time they have cheerfully given him their votes. 
In 1860, he received thirty-four hundred more votes than 
his competitor, and in 1866, nearly twenty-two hundred 
more. 

He was elected Speaker of the Thirty-eighth Congress in 
1863, by a vote of 101 to 81, and has been reelected Speak- 
er of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth. He was urged, but 
he declined, to accept a seat in the United States Senate, 
preferring his presiding chair in the House. For fourteen 
years he has been prominently identified with nearly every 
Republican measure in Congress, and during the war, was 
one of the best friends the soldiers had at the capitol. 
Every bill for men and money received his active support, 
and he gave liberally from his private means to the Chris- 
tian Commission and hospital funds for the comfort and re- 
lief of the sick. To our knowledge, at one time Mr. Colfax 
donated §100, and at another time, all his mileage, amount- 
ing to over §500. 

Mr. Colfax's position as presiding officer of the House 
has prevented him from obtaining that distinction as an or- 
ator he would otherwise have done, but it is only justice to 
say that during the short time he was on the floor, his great 
powers as a debater, his strong, clear, common sense, quick 
intuition, and devotion to the best interests of his country, 
made him so valuable a business member of the House of Rep- 
resentatives that he was early placed on important committees. 
If he had remained on the floor there can be little doubt 
but that he would have become one of the most distinguished 
business men of the body, and have been constantly kept at 
the head of the leading committees. 

His views, in 1856, on many of the great national enter- 
prises have since been adopted, a-nd none more particularly 
than those re^ardino; the Pacific Railroad, which he declared 
24 



370 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

then was "a most important measure, not only for the pros- 
perity of the nation, but as a means of binding together the 
distant sections of our great Republic." 

Mr. Colfax plunged into the campaign of 1860 with 
all his energy. Mr. Lincoln had been from the first his 
favorite as a candidate, and he had foreshadowed his 
nomination, months before it occurred, in his paper. 
There were many points of resemblance in the characters 
of the two men, and Colfax's heart warmed toward him as 
toward a brother. Hardly any man in the United States 
did so much to secure the election of Mr. Lincoln as this 
Western editor, and this from pure love, and not from any 
hope or desire of reward. Mr. Colfax could have had, if 
he had sought it, a place in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet, as he 
always had (a very warm one) in his heart; but he preferred 
to remain in Congress, and during the whole period of the 
war he was a bosom friend and a trusted adviser of the 
President. In his sound sense, his practical view- of mat- 
ters, and his freedom from hobbies, Mr. Lincoln could con- 
fide, with the assurance that his counsels would never lead 
him astray. 

Hopeful, even in the darkest hours, and ever ready to 
cheer and encourage the drooping spirits of those whose 
duller vision could not pierce the cloud-rack and see the 
clear heavens beyond, his presence and influence were in- 
valuable in the murky and treason-tainted atmosphere of 
the capital. 

In 1862, when Mr. Colfax's fourth term in Congress was 
about to expire, the people were greatly depressed by the 
disasters that had befell the army. Many thought that the 
enthusiasm of the people was gone, and that at the coming 
elections the party in power would not be sustained. Hast- 
ening home to his district, Colfax took the rostrum and 
passed rapidly around among his people like a military 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 371 

evangel, pleading for freedom, for the country, and for the 
army, forgetful of self, and solicitous only to recruit our 
thinned lines of battle. Friends, believing that his reelec- 
tion was more valuable to the cause than a few Indiana vol- 
unteers could be to the army, almost sharply remonstrated 
against a course which, they thought, would secure his 
undeserved defeat. The characteristic reply, unstudied for 
effect, because made in private, was that he preferred that 
he, not our brave soldiers, should be in the minority, 
and that recruiting should go briskly and immediately for- 
ward. 

We repeat, no man in Washington was more trusted or 
beloved by Mr. Lincoln than Colfax, and often when har- 
assed by hasty friends or misrepresented by virulent ene- 
mies, the good President would appeal to the young states- 
man for advice. The friendship existing between them 
continued up to that sad night when the ball of the assassin 
robbed the country of its beloved ruler. Colfax was with 
Mr. Lincoln in his last moments, and was one of the heart- 
stricken little band that knelt around the bed of the dying 
martyr. 

Mr. Colfax has been more honored by his fellow-members 
than any man who ever was in Congress except Henry Clay ; 
and it is the testimony of members of all parties, that he is 
the best presiding officer the House has had since Henry 
Clay, and in some particulars he excels even Mr. Clay. He 
is always genial and courteous, never betrayed into impa- 
tience or vexation, and his marvelous quickness of thought, 
thorough knowledge of parliamentary usage, and talent for 
the rapid administration of details, and, above all, bis extra- 
ordinary tact, enable him to control the House of Repre- 
sentatives, even in its most boisterous moods, with the skill 
and grace with which an accomplished pilot would manage 
the helm of one of our palace steamers on the Hudson. He 



372 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

is never at a fault in deciding a question of order, however 
delicate or difficult, and the whole array of precedents are 
at his command. Very seldom indeed are his decisions 
overruled, and in the rare cases in which they have been, 
the House have generally found that they, and not he, were 
in the wrong. It has been said that his talents were ad- 
ministrative and executive, rather than deliberative. While 
this is in itself high praise, we are inclined to doubt its 
entire truth. He does possess great executive ability, and 
inherits from his mother that faculty of rapid intuition, 
which has been very properly denominated "mother wit;" 
but he has also given indications of the possession of high 
reasoning and deliberative faculties, and both his editorials 
and speeches give evidence of fine logical as well as rhetor- 
ical power. 

He possesses, in a remarkable degree, the power of read- 
ing character, and when called upon to select men for 
special duties he will not make mistakes. While a radical 
in his political views, he is still cautious, but will still faith- 
fully execute the will of the people. His mind is well bal- 
anced, no undue predominance of any faculty being observ- 
able, but all uniting in such proportions as to make a sound, 
healthy-minded, judicious man; one who will not be a seer, 
far in advance of his age, nor a conservative, lagging in the 
rear of it, but an able leader, to whose position the whole 
host of patriots will rally, and whose views will meet with a 
hearty response from all lovers of their country.* 

*Note. — I am indebted to Dr. L. P. Brockett, of Brooklyn, X. Y., 
the accomplished author of " Men of our Times," for much of the in- 
formation contained in my sketch of Mr. Colfax. — Author. 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 873 



CHAPTER III. 

PERSONAL MAXXERS OF MR. COLFAX WHY THE WOMEX LIKE HIM — niS 

WIFE — MR. COLFAX AT HOME — HIS RECEPTIOXS — WHY THEY ARE POPU- 
LAR COLFAX AXD HIS MOTHER A GOOD SOX GRAXT AXD COLFAX 

EARLY STRUGGLES AXD POVERTY OF COLFAX SUPPER TO HIM BY THE 

PRESS OF WASHINGTON HIS REMARKS — COLFAX AS A POLITICIAN — HIS 

TALEXTS — GRAXT SAFE FROM ASSASSIXATIOX IF COLFAX IS VICE-PRESI- 

DEXT COLFAX'S SPEECHES HIS PIETY COLFAX AT SOUTH BEXD WHAT 

HIS XEIGHBORS THIXK OF HIM A TEMPERAXCE MAX — HIS LIBERALITY 

AXD SUPPORT OF GOOD CAUSES PERSOXAL APPEARAXCE — AXECDOTE 

COLFAX IX HIS OFFICE HIS RECORD. 

Mr. Colfax is a polite man, but not proudly or haughtily 
so. He is genial and gentle from the necessities of his 
nature. The gentleman, in his case, as in all others, is not 
of necessity he who was gentle-born, but he who possesses a 
truly gentle nature. There are heart and kindness in his 
civility. Men leave his presence with the feeling that they 
have been with a good, kind, able, and honest man. Politi- 
cal opponents like him personally, as well as his political 
friends. The breath of slander has been silent toward his 
fair, spotless fame. Socially he is frank, lively, jolly. It 
may be that he feels his oats in some degree, but dignity 
has n't spoiled him. The everlasting I-hood and Us-ness 
of great men is forgotten in his presence. His manners 
are not quite so familiar as those of Lincoln, but nearly 
so. They are natural, graceful, with a bird-like or busi- 
ness-like quickness of thought and motion. But they are 
very far from the high and mighty style of Sumner, or the 



3/4 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

judicial coldness of Fessendcn, Sherman, and Trumbull. 
American mothers believe in Schuyler Colfax. There are 
more babies named for him than for any public man since 
Clay. But not only American mothers believe in him, but 
he is a favorite with all good women ; not only because he 
says very pleasant things to them, nor because he grew 
into manhood revering womanhood, through a good mother, 
wife, and sister ; but because all true women know intui- 
tively that he is a true man, holding his soul blameless in 
honor. To believe is a necessity of women, at least of a 
good woman. If she has unshaken faith in you, in the 
purity of your purpose, in the loftiness of your character, 
you may wound her with a thousand faults, yet to her 
uplifted eyes the nimbus of the god will hover about you 
still. " Do you think Schuyler Colfax a great man ?" asked 
a gentleman of a lady, while listening to Mr. C.'s last speech 
in Cooper Institute. "I never think to inquire," was the 
reply ; " because I know him to be what the country needs 
much more just now — a true man, through and through." 
" You can not think him as great as Chase ?" " Intellec- 
tually ! No. Morally he is greater. He is incapable of 
doing what Chase did for the sake of the presidency. He 
could not plan for the defeat of a friend, as Chase planned 
against Lincoln." We heard a lady say, not long since, 
"If the American women could vote, Schu} r ler Colfax 
would be the next President." If this be true, it is very 
much to his credit, for we all know that those public men 
who are believed in and supported by the best women, are 
the men who are supported and believed in by the best 
men. We know, also, that the most illustrious men of all 
ages and nations have drawn their highest inspiration and 
best success from the friendship and devotion of women. 

But not only do the women believe in Colfax, but he 
believes in them. When a mere boy he learned to love one 






LIFE OF COLFAX. 375 

of his little playmates, and when only twenty-one married 
her. She was a good woman — pure, kind-hearted, lovely in 
person and disposition. With this devoted woman Mr. 
Colfax lived happily, surrounded by his mother, sisters, and 
friends, until 1863, when his wife sickened and died, leaving 
him childless. He never married again, and probably never 
will. There are no doubt many good and beautiful women 
in the United States, who would feel honored by the 
society of such a man, and would be willing to take upon 
themselves, at the holy fount, the name of Schuyler Colfax, 
but we doubt if he ever marries again. His heart lies 
buried in the grave with the choice of his youth, and for 
years past he has devoted himself entirely to the care of 
his mother and sisters. No more devoted brother or dutiful 
son ever lived than Schuyler Colfax, and those who have 
attended his brilliant receptions have not failed to notice his 
kind and affectionate treatment of his mother and sisters. 
People have wondered why Mr. Colfax's receptions were 
the most popular in Washington, but they need not go far 
to find out the cause, for they are the most home-like. 
There is heart, geniality, freedom, hospitality, welcome in 
them such as is not to be found elsewhere. They are the 
people's receptions, and as the Speaker enters all smiles, 
with his old mother on one arm and his sister Carrie on 
the other, every one present feels at home, and, instead of 
formalities, there is an evening of real enjoyment. There 
is a style about the Speaker's home which reminds one of 
the log-cabins of the West, with their wide chimnies and 
big roaring fires, where every traveler who passes that way 
is welcome. Nothing can exceed the chivalrous gallantry 
of the Speaker to his mother, his cherished companion from 
childhood. When she enters the gallery of the House, Mr. 
Colfax at once calls some member of the House to the 
Speaker's chair, and hastens to her, remaining, if possible, 



376 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

-with her during the whole time she continues at the Hall 
of Representatives. 

It is curious how destiny snatches her darlings from the 
arms of obscurity, and, mocking at birth and degree, sets 
them in the world's highest places. Scarcely a name has 
burst upon the world in transcendent luster that did not at 
the first emerge from the heavy cloud of defeat and humili- 
ation. 

Not many years ago the well-paid, little-to-do officers of 
the United States army used to cross the street to avoid 
meeting a young ex-captain, turned farmer, because he 
"bored" them by asking them to use their influence to 
assist him in obtaining a position. To-day no officer, what- 
ever his rank, would be greatly bored by a conversation 
with this same ex-captain, nor very likely to cross the street 
to avoid meeting the General of all the armies, the certain- 
to-be President of the United States. Less than ten years 
ago the people of America had never heard of Ulysses 
Grant. He was poor, he was disappointed. He had 
neither social position nor political influence. Though he 
lived but a few doors away, he had never even spoken to 
Elihu Washburne, the brave congressman who afterward 
fought his battles through all defeat, and who washed his 
escutcheon white of blame Ions; before Grant himself could 
lift it into the keen sunlight of renown. 

Fifteen years ago a young man sat in a little office in a 
small town of the West, clipping and writing for the 
columns of an obscure newspaper. He could boast of brave 
blood and an honorable lineage, but the world did not know 
it. His name was historic by right of birth ; yet, beyond 
the narrow arc of a few counties, no one had ever heard 
of him. Nature had not stinted his birthright. Adversity 
had trained him for life. He entered the service of his 
generation with a sunny courage, an endless patience, a 



LIFE OP COLFAX. oi i 

clear head, and a true heart. One has said profoundly, 
"Temperament is greater than all." Temperament is fate. 
Not one of us is more nor less than our temperament makes 
us. Schuyler Colfax has the temperament of success. He 
be^an his career with an honorable ambition and dauntless 
faith in the future. Yet, through all the dreaming of youth, 
it is doubtful if the "narrow walls" of the newspaper office 
" stretched away in stately halls " of the capitol of the 
nation, or that he beheld himself the third in rank in the 
government of his country, and within less than twenty 
years presented by the most powerful of parties for the 
second office in the gift of his fellow-citizens. 

Great, however, as has been Mr. Colfax's success in life, 
he never forgets, he remembers rather with peculiar 
tenacity, the humble circumstances of his early years, and 
honors, with peculiar love, those sons of toil, who, like 
himself, have, by diligent struggle and earnest endeavor, 
wrought their way up to a higher and more extended sphere 
of action. 

A very pleasant illustration of this is contained in a speech 
which he delivered at a dinner given him by the represen- 
tatives of the press, in December, 1866, at which the presid- 
ing officer, Samuel Wilkeson, Esq., had alluded to his pass- 
ing his office at midnight eighteen years before, while wait- 
ing for the change of horses in the stage, and having seen 
him busily at work. Mr. Colfax replied as follows: 

"I have had to listen to-night to a eulogy from your dis- 
tinguished chairman, of which I can only wish I was worthy. 
What he has said has called back to my mind what is often 
before it, the years of my early manhood — and I sec a friend 
seated at this table (Mr. Defrees) who knows much of it about 
as well as myself— when, struggling against poverty and ad- 
verse fortune, sometimes I sought in the profession to which 
you have devoted yourself, to earn an honest livelihood for 



378 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

myself and family, and a position, humble, but not dishonored, 
among the newspaper men of America. I can not remem- 
ber the exact evening to which he alludes, when, eighteen 
years ago, a stranger then, as I am glad he is not now, he 
saw me through a window in my office, with the midnight 
lamp before me, and heard the commentary on my life from 
the lips of some too partial friend among those who from 
my boyhood had surrounded me with so much kindness and 
attention. But well do I remember, in the early history of 
the newspaper that numbered but two hundred and fifty 
subscribers when I established it, I was often compelled to 
labor far into the hours of the night. And little did I dream, 
at that time, I was ever to be a member of the American 
Congress ; and far less that I was to be the recipient of the 
honor whose conferment you commemorate and indorse to- 
night. I can say of that paper that its columns, from its very 
first number, will bear testimony to-day that in all the polit- 
ical canvasses in which I was engaged, I never avoided a 
frank and out- spoken expression of opinion on any question 
before the American people; and that, as these opinions 
had always been honestly entertained, could not have hesi- 
tated to frankly and manfully avow them. Though the effect 
of these avowals was, from the political complexion of the 
district and the State, to keep me in a minorit}', the people 
among whom I live will bear testimony that I was no less 
faithful to them then than I have been when, in later years, 
that minority has, by the course of events, been changed into 
a majority." 

In the course of this speech, he uttered the following 
noble thoughts in regard to the vocation of the editor, a 
vocation which he continued to honor by his own participa- 
tion in it until his assumption of the Speaker's chair. Were 
these views more prevalent, journalism would be afar great- 
er blessinsr to the nation and the world than it now is : 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 379 

"Next to the sacred desk, and those who minister in it. 



there is no profession more responsible than yours. The 
editor can not wait, like the politician, to see the set of the 
tide, but is required, as new necessities arise, not only to 
avow at once his sentiments upon them, but to discuss them 
intelligently and instructively. It is also his duty to guide 
and protect public opinion in the proper channels, and to 
lay before the readers of his sheet such matter as shall tend 
to the elevation of their character. I have sometimes 
thought that newspapers in their sphere might be compared 
to that exquisite mechanism of the universe whereby the 
moisture is lifted from the earth, condensed into clouds, 
and poured back again in refreshing and fertilizing showers 
to bless the husbandman and produce the abundant harvests. 
So, with the representatives of the press, they draw from 
public opinion, condense public opinion, and finally reflect 
and re-distribute it back again in turn to its elevation and 
purification." 

Schuyler Colfax is a politician in the highest sense of 
that much-abused term, for the best years of his active 
manhood have been devoted to the study of political science, 
and the administration of public affairs. Believing in the 
people, he has endeavored to faithfully carry out their will. 
He is, perhaps, to-day, the fittest man to fill the Vice- 
President's office, because he is, in the largest sense, a 
representative American. Of the people, and with the peo- 
ple, it is impossible for him to be purely sectional in his 
sympathies or in his ideas of legislation. He has greater 
personal familiarity with the resources and interests of the 
whole country than any other public man, having traveled 
in every State from Oregon to Maine, hailed eveiy-where 
by the masses of the people as a beloved friend. 

Some one has said that he has "no eccentricities, but 
great tact, and his talents are rather administrative and 



380 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

executive than deliberative." That is true so far as it en- 
ables him to make good appointments, and adopt sure poli- 
cies. He would make a better President, or Speaker of 
the House, than Senator. He knows men well, estimates 
them correctly, treats them all fairly and candidly. No 
man will get through his business with you in fewer min- 
utes, and yet none is more free from the horrid brusqueness 
of busy men. 

If the experience of past years has proved the ne- 
cessity of selecting, for the second executive of the govern- 
ment, a man who will be true to the platform and prin- 
ciples of his party and the people who elect him, then 
Colfax is the right man, for should any thing happen to 
Grant, it would not change the policy of the administration, 
unless to make it more radical. Rebels who know Schuyler 
Colfax will never kill Ulysses Grant, in order to have the 
former become President. 

Of Mr. Colfax's speeches, it may be said that they are 
clear and convincing, with a vein of dignity and piety run- 
ning through all their sentences. Thus he said to the Thirty- 
eighth Congress: "I invoke you to remember that sacred 
truth which all history verifies, that 'they who rule not in 
righteousness shall perish from the earth;"' and again: 
" The Creator is leading us in his oWn way rather than our 
own. He has put all men on an equality before Divine hiAv, 
and demands that we shall put ail men upon the same equal- 
ity before human law;" or again, "Honesty to principle is 
our highest duty, and I would rather sacrifice my life than 
betray the people." 

Thus he said of the employment of negro troops: "I do 
not call negro soldiers better than white ones. If I were to 
express my own opinion, it would be that those of my own 
color are better and braver. For I have always told you, in 
spite of charges to the contrary, that I believe the Anglo- 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 381 

Saxon race was superior to any other that walks the foot- 
stool of God." 

So he said of moral faithfulness in legislation: "Whether 
traveling in the valley of humiliation or disaster, or keeping 
my eye fixed on the heavens, I believe God reigns. I do n't 
believe his blessings will fall on the Confederacy. God's 
ways are sometimes dark, but sooner or later they reach the 
shining hills of day." 

He first announced the Republican platform, after the 
breach with Mr. Johnson, thus : " Let us make haste slowly, 
and we can then hope that the foundations of our govern- 
ment, when thus reconstructed on the basis of indisputable 
loyalty, will be as eternal as the stars." 

In like manner, on April 10, 1866, when he made mild 
but manly issue with Johnson, he said of the Civil Rights 
Bill, in the first moment of its enactment : " That law, mis- 
represented as it has been by its opponents in Congress, will 
never be repealed, and in the years that are coming, it will 
be the proudest recollection and the crowning honor of those 
men who stood up in the national councils, that they gave 
to that American Magna Charta their cordial support." 

He treated in this way a taunt of the Democracy: "The 
new nickname flung at us is 'Radicals.' I had rather be 
called a radical than a rebel, at any time. I am a radical 
for right against wrong ; for liberty against slavery ; for 
justice against tyranny — a radical friend of my country and 
a radical enemy of every hater of my native land. I be- 
lieve in a radical government of the people, by the people, 
the world over, and my sympathies go out toward the 
radicals who are trying to imitate our free institutions in 
Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, and Mexico. I wish to see 
a belt of republics encircle the globe." 

Here is another curt passage : "I am for leveling up rath- 



382 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

er than leveling down. God do so to me, and more also, if 
I do aught more to crush any man down lower." 

In short, this is Mr. Colfax, as described in the words of 
his pastor and poet at South Bend, his home: 

"Thou art the clear, 
Persuasive orator of right; the pure, 
Unsullied patriot; the changeless, sure, 
And genial friend, to many hearts how dear." 

But after all, his oratory is more of the fervent and florid 
style than argumentative; he is always interesting and enter- 
taining, and never speaks but he instructs his hearers, for 
he is a close student, and thoroughly studies his subjects. 
He is earnest and positive without being bitter ; never in 
one of his speeches has he used the word copperhead. He 
speaks strongly of the acts and principles of the opposition, 
but never applies to them any abusive terms. This habit 
has been of great service to him, and it frequently has 
happened that men w T ho one year were opposed to him, the 
next were found supporting him. 

Some one has said that no one ever hated Mr. Colfax, 
and that he never had an enemy. That is not so; if it 
were true he were not worth writing about, but we happen 
to know a man who hates him most cordially, and, there- 
fore, he stands acquitted of the woe pronounced on those 
of whom all men speal^ well. Still we confess Colfax is 
alarmingly popular for a man of brains and principle, and 
we wish the Democrats would curse him a little more 
frequently. 

The home test is a severe one for most men. It is said 
"a prophet is not without honor save in his own country;" 
but Colfax is popular even at home, if we may judge from 
the manner in which he is received when he goes to South 
Bend. Thus, in I860, when he returned from Washington, 
he was greeted in good, old-fashioned Hoosier style by 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 383 

earliest, loyal, political and personal friends. These, with 
heart-felt unanimity, seemed to share a common spirit of 
enthusiasm. When the morning train reached Laporte and 
South Bend, crowds were in waiting. At the depot of the 
latter place were old patriarchs who knew our "boy 
Schuyler," middle-aged men whom he had gracefully dis- 
tanced in the race of life, and wondering children, to whom 
this was a holiday, attending carriages, wagons, nondescript 
vehicles of all sorts; flags, banners, and bands playing 
"Home, Sweet Home," all in waiting to honor the return 
of a distinguished yet simple-hearted citizen. Descending 
from the railway platform, Mr. Colfax was almost literally 
carried by the arms to an adjoining rostrum, where, in in- 
tense silence, the formal yet sincere and touching welcome 
was pronounced by Judge Wade, formerly colonel of the 
Seventy-third Indiana Infantry, who, during the war, was 
by Mr. Colfax delivered from actual squalid horrors and 
impending death in Libby Prison. 

The orator, in substance, thanked Mr. Colfax in the 
name of his fellow-citizens for the honors he in his public 
life had won for them; in the name of national citizens, 
who feel that he is a prominent part of the trusty bulwark 
which shields them from public enemies; and, finally, in the 
name of soldiers who have learned by experience that lie 
was patriotically, unselfishly, constantly, and unflaggingly 
devoted to their interests. 

The speaker closed, and for a moment speech was silent 
on the lips of the silver-tongued statesman, who hitherto 
had gracefully addressed Presidents and Senates, but whose 
owner's heart seemed just then more ready to sit down and 
silently weep upon the threshold of its home, than to dic- 
tate the words whose meanino; it were far easier to feel. 
But soon the ringing sentences be^an to flow and the re- 
turning guest to feel literally at home. Then the shouts, 



384 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

and the procession through the streets, whose doors and 
windows fairly shone with nodding heads and bright faces. 
For once in life, amid all this unostentatious, spontaneous 
excitement of that pure inland town, we discover a prophet 
having honor and enjoying " love in his own country." 

Mr. Colfax's personal example at Washington is lumi- 
nous. When twenty, he made vows of strict abstinence, 
which have never been broken. Liquors and wines are 
never used at his receptions, while Presidential dinners and 
diplomatic banquets are utterly powerless to abate one jot 
or tittle of his firmness. Many well remember his late 
speech at the congressional temperance meeting, and how- 
he banished the sale of liquor from all parts of the Capitol 
within his jurisdiction. 

At the National Republican Union Convention at Chicago, 
in May, 1868, at which he was nominated for the Vice- 
Presidency, the canvass for him was conducted by his 
special command without a drop of any intoxicating liquor. 
At the head-quarters of some of the other candidates, 
strong drink flowed freely, but Mr. Colfax would have pre- 
ferred to lose the nomination, rather than to violate his 
temperance principles. 

He is a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, and loves 
to talk in private of how God rules and how distinctly and 
how often in our history his holy arm has been revealed ; 
and the ascription of praise comes from a worshiping heart, 
reliant on God through Christ. 

He has always in all the relations of life, public and pri- 
vate, maintained an active and reputable Christian profes- 
sion. The Sunday-school, the tract, the mission, and the 
Bible cause, have all found in him an earnest and cordial 
supporter; no matter whether it has been the Sanitary Com- 
mission, the Christian Commission, the Soldiers' Aid Soci- 
ety, or what benevolent institution that applied to him for 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 385 

help, lie Las always given freely a part of his earnings; and 
if an advocate was needed, his eloquent voice was immedi- 
ately lifted up in the cities of the nation, now pleading for 
money, then for clothing, and still again for food comforts 
for the sick and wounded soldiers. 

He is a smoker, and, indeed, indulges in this filthy habit 
almost as much as Grant. The following is told of the 
two candidates : The Speaker visited General Grant be- 
fore the result of the vote at Chicago was known. The 
Speaker was smoking a fine cigar. "Where did you get 
that cigar, Colfax?" said Grant. " I get my cigars of a man 
at Danbury, Connecticut; he makes them himself,'' answer- 
ed Colfax. " Well, that is one of the best cigars I have 
seen in some time," said Grant. " I will order some." 
Thereupon the General sat down and wrote to the Dan- 
bury man to send them one thousand Colfax cigars. When 
he had sealed the envelope, Colfax said : " General, let me 
frank that for you." Whereupon the Speaker wrote his 
signature on Grant's letter to the man at Danbury. 

George Alfred Townsend, who visited Mr. Colfax not 
long ago, writes thus pleasantly about him: 

" I found him in what he called ' his den,' a little closet- 
room, lighted by one basement window, under the Capitol. 
It was a curiosity-shop of manuscripts and documents, order 
reigning through superficial confusion. Here the Speaker 
hides himself away from pages and harpies, and works 
unassistedly at his speeches and his correspondence, the 
latter of itself a drudgery as great and exciting as any 
accountant's. 

"But a light-house never grows old; after the hundred 
years its flame is as youthful as when it began. The pure, 
unaffected, radiant cheerfulness of Mr. Colfax keeps him as 
rosy and hopeful as a boy. Here ho sits, smoking his 



386 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

cigar, surprised in the midst of a smile, for all his thoughts 
are good companions. 

" I took a seat before him, and while he answered some 
questions I had brought, I tried to make out his face and 
character — a very difficult type were both of them, for a 
country of which the Speaker is so representative, and yet 
of a temperament so uncommon. 

" We are a sober-minded people, with lines of thrift and 
anxiety in our faces, like the marks of whip and burden. 
We go to law and go to church with the same countenances. 
We want to make money fast, and on the way and after the 
end we have remorses, aches, wounded self-esteems, asceti- 
cisms. The air, the soil, the worry, and the hurry of Amer- 
ican life provincialize the American into a hard, repellant, 
dreadfully overearnest man, with a skin, a stomach, and a 
soul, equally dyspeptic. 

" Out of this population a face grows, now and then, like 
a clover head out of a stock-yard, all freshness and color, 
and quick to feel the earliest breezes. This is Mr. Colfax. 
His life is perennial hopefulness, having a good conscience 
for its compass, and for its ballast a temperament that is 
equal as an hour-glass." 

There are some curious divisions of time connected with 
Mr. Colfax's career, which are worth mentioning. Six 
years after his first election to Congress he was elected 
Speaker of the House. He has been thrice elected to this 
position, and will have served in it exactly six years on his 
accession to the Vice-Presidency — stepping from the third 
to the second position within the gift of the people. Then 
we have, as the prominent periods in a more than ordinarily 
successful and brilliant life, first the age at which he entered 
the law office of his early and still devoted friend (sixteen.) 
Sixteen years later — at the age of thirty- two — we find him 
in the American Congress, and almost immediately rec- 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 887 

ognized as one of the ablest champions of his party. Six 
years later he is elected as presiding officer of the lower 
House, reelected twice, and at the end of his present term, 
which will constitute six years, he will be called to a still 
higher and more responsible position. 

In the summer of 1866, in company with several friends, 
Mr. Colfax crossed the continent by the overland route, and 
received a hearty and cordial welcome in the Pacific States 
and Territories, and increased his already deep interest in 
the means of speedy and rapid communication with those 
portions of the Republic. 

This trip prepared him for one of the most entertaining 
lectures ever delivered in this country. It has been listened 
to with rapt attention by the people of almost every city in 
the North. Pecuniarily, however, it has profited him but 
little, for with that liberality which has ever been a marked 
trait in his character, the entire proceeds of a lecture have 
as often been donated to some charitable object as they 
have found their way into his own pocket. 
' He has also published another lecture, on " The Educa- 
tion of the Heart," which has been widely circulated. 

The following is a letter written by the patriot poet 
Whittier, to Mr. Colfax : 

Colfax ! — well chosen to preside 
O'er Freedom's Congress, and to guide, 
As one who holds the reins of fate, 
The current of its great debate ; 
Prompted by one too wise, and good, 
And fair, withal, to be withstood, 
Here, from our northern river banks, 
I send to thee my hearty thanks 
For all the patience which has borne 
The weary toot of Buncombe's horn, 
The hissing of the Copperhead, 
And Folly dropping words of lead! 



388 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

Still wisely ready when the scale 
Hangs poised to make the right prevail, 
Still foremost, though Secession's head 
Be crushed, with scornful heel to tread 
The life out from its writhing tail ! 
As wise, firm, faithful to the end 
God keep thee, prays thy sincere friend, 

John G. Whittier. 

In personal appearance, Mr. Colfax is rather under the 
medium height, with form firmly and compactly molded. 
His hair is brown, now slightly sprinkled with gray; eyes 
blue, forehead high and arching, indicating great perceptive 
faculties and deep veneration. His face is open and frank, 
and as yet unmarked by age. He possesses great vitality, 
and can endure an extraordinary amount of labor with but 
little fatigue. This, coupled with his temperate habits, has 
caused him to wear his age so well, that but few persons 
would place him even at forty. He is yet in the prime and 
vigor of manhood, with all his cares and responsibilities as 
buoyant as most people at thirty. , 

His career in politics has been quite as successful as that 
of his illustrious colleague in arms. Here is the aggregate 
vote on either side at each election : 

1851. ..Colfax 9,118 Fitch 9,356 

1854.. .Colfax 9,989 Eddy 8,223 

1856. ..Colfax 12,926 Stuart 11,890 

1858.. .Colfax 14,541 Walker 12,610 

I860.. .Colfax 16,860 Cathcart 13,458 

1862. ..Colfax 14,775 Turpie 14,546 

1864.. .Colfax 16,658 Turpie 14.978 

1866. ..Colfax 20,221 Turpie 18,073 

Thus we see that our candidate for Vice-President has 
proved as invincible in the arena of intellectual struggle for 
liberty and loyalty as our more illustrious candidate for 
President amid the stern alarms of war. 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 889 



CHAPTER IV. 

the chicago convention — nominations for vice-president — mr. 
pierce's speech — mr. claflin's speech — hon. henry lane's speech 

speech of mr. cutcheson — remarks of fred. hassaurek, carl 

sch urtz, judge jones, alexander m'olure, and others hons. ben. 

wade, colfax, wilson, fenton, hamlin, harlin, curtin, pomeroy 

speed, creswell, and kelley nominated for vice-president first 

ballot second ballot third ballot fourth ballot fifth 

ballot colfax declared the unanimous nominee of the conven- 
tion — the enthusiasm — adjournment. 

It was part of the duty of the Convention which assem- 
bled at Chicago on the 20th of May, to nominate a candi- 
date for Vice-President. After the nomination of General 
Grant had been made known, the President, General 
Hawley, directed the delegations to name their candidates 
for Vice-President. Mr. Pierce, of Virginia, in an eloquent 
speech, nominated Hon. Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts. 
Mr. Claflin, chairman of the Massachusetts delegation, in a 
speech highly complimentary to Mr. Wilson, seconded the 
motion. The Hon. Henry Lane, a venerable ex-senator 
from Indiana, then rose and said : 

" Mr. Chairman : I am instructed by the delegation from 
the State of Indiana to present that tried, trusted, and 
true patriot, Schuyler Colfax. [Prolonged applause.] Of 
the purity of his life, in private and in public, of his dis- 
tinguished public services, his long identification with con- 



390 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

gressional action, it is idle and unnecessary that I should go 
into any lengthy eulogy with reference to Mr. Colfax. He 
is an Indianian near to our hearts. We know him. The 
people are united for him, and I speak but one voice. He 
is well known there. He is the choice of the people, and 
although his residence is in Indiana, his fame, thank God, 
belongs to the whole continent. [Tremendous cheers.] To 
his past history I need but refer for a moment. He began 
public service an orphan boy, with no inheritance except 
those God-endowed gifts which marked him from the 
beginning a master and a leader of men. [Cheers.] He 
began his career as a Whig politician, under the standard 
of that pure and incorruptible patriot, that far-seeing states- 
man, that brightest representative of American character, 
that pure and peerless orator, Henry Clay, of Kentucky. 
[Cheers.] Faithful to his country, faithful to his friends, 
and faithful to his public allegiance, he has supported every 
candidate of the Whig party and every nomination of the 
Republican party. These are some of his claims to your 
confidence and consideration. He has supported every 
measure of congressional reconstruction. With other dis- 
tinguished gentlemen presented for the same office we have 
no quarrel. They are proud sons of the republic. Their 
glory is a part of our common inheritance. We shall 
make no disparagement. When you shall make your 
nomination, Ave shall be there to roll up our sleeves in his 
behalf. [Cheers.] I assure the Convention that, with Mr. 
Colfax as our standard-bearer, we shall carry Indiana, 
sometimes slanderously called, by evil-minded men, a 
doubtful State. [Laughter.] We shall carry Indiana. We 
shall triumph in the election. We may do this with others. 
I trust, if another is nominated, we shall elect him, but we 
regard him as absolutely certain. It is an auspicious time 
to present a young man — a man representing the religious 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 391 

and moral sentiment of the country to a great extent. He 
is the chosen, tried, and true leader — no doubtful man. 
The painful experience of the past has admonished us that 
we must have no doubtful man to be our Vice-President. 
We present you no doubtful man. He has stood by recon- 
struction — thank God, he has also stood by impeachment. 
[Applause.] When the seven recreant senators, unlike the 
seven golden candlesticks, burning in no Christian temple — 
when their light shall have been extinguished, or when they 
shall be only dark lanterns, whose illumination is only 
seen in places fit for the light of dark lanterns. Schuyler 
Colfax, as Vice-President, or as Speaker, or as member of 
Congress, will be found true to his principles, true to the 
interest of the Republican party, and of the Union party — 
for they are synonymous — one and the same. Now, we 
have passed through the war, we have emerged from the 
storm and cloud of battle, and now stand, as the whole 
United States, represented, and properly represented ; and 
the Scripture is now being fulfilled, for we find Ethiopia 
striking out her arms." [Applause.] 

Mr. Parker, Chairman of the delegation from New 
Jersey : 

" Mr. President : The Republican Convention of New 
Jersey gave to their delegates an instruction which they 
have fulfilled; a subsequent resolution upon the subject of 
the Vice-Presidency expressly declares that upon that 
subject no instructions were given, except that it was the 
duty of the delegates to aim at the nomination of the man 
most fit to occupy the place of Vice-President. In the 
spirit of that resolution these delegates are here to-day, and 
I am instructed, as chairman, to nominate as candidate to 
the office of Vice-President Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana. 



392 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

[Applause.] We nominate him as a young man likely, in 
the Providence of God, to live ; we nominate him as a 
candidate of the young men. [Applause.] We love him 
beyond all others because of the kindness of his heart, the 
power of his intellect. We nominate him because, coming 
from the great and glorious West, we believe he will add 
splendor to the galaxy of men which the West has fur- 
nished. We nominate him because we know that in our 
State we can live under his rule. Schuyler Colfax comes 
of Jersey blood — blood that has flowed throughout this 
land, and is always good and true. We nominate him for 
the virtues which have been mentioned by the gentleman 
from Indiana." 

Mr. Cutcheson, of Michigan, said : 

"Mr. President: I rise in behalf of the electors and 
delegates of the Republican party of Michigan, to support 
the nomination of Schuyler Colfax. [Great applause.] At 
the State Convention, where the Republican party of the 
State was very fully represented, when the name of 
Schuyler Colfax was proposed there as a candidate for the 
office of Vice-President, we witnessed some such a scene as 
here to-day was seen when Ulysses S. Grant was declared 
the unanimous nominee of this Convention for President. 
In Michigan we have watched the course of Schuyler Colfax, 
who lives just on the border, and we believe there that no 
name can be proposed to the people of the United States 
for this high office that will excite greater enthusiasm ; we 
believe none other can excite so great an enthusiasm. In 
the State of Michigan the name of Schuyler Colfax is 
powerful. [Cries, "True," applause, etc.] While we 
pledge the most hearty support to any nominee of this 
Convention, we feel that to Grant and Schuyler Colfax we 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 393 

can promise to this Convention, from the State of Michigan, 
for Grant and Colfax, to roll up thirty thousand majority. 
[Applause.] We have seen him, how true he is to princi- 
ple, and how he has forced men to love him as the people 
all love the name of the man who gets so close to the peo- 
ple's heart." [Applause.] 

The eloquent German orator, Fred. Hassaurek, in behalf 
of Ohio, then proceeded to nominate the "old war-horse," 
Ben. Wade. He was followed by General Carl Schurtz, 
who ably seconded the motion on behalf of the Missouri 
delegation. Judge Jones, of North Carolina, followed 
General Schurtz in an earnest speech, urging the nomination 
of Senator Wade. Judge Tremain nominated Governor 
Reuben E. Fenton for New York, amid great enthusiasm, 
and the motion was seconded by the Louisiana delegation 
through its chairman, Governor Warmouth. Mr. Wood, of 
Kentucky, nominated the Hon. James Speed, of Louisville. 
Mr. Sands, of Maryland, nominated Hon. A. J. Creswell. 
Mr. Forney, of Pennsylvania, nominated Hon. Andrew G. 
Curtin, and Mr. McClure seconded the motion in an able 
speech. General Williamson nominated Hon. James Harlan. 
Mr. Seymour, of Wisconsin, nominated Hon. Hannibal Ham- 
lin, and Mr. Shepley, of Maine, seconded the nomination. 
Hon. Win. D. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, was nominated by 
the Alabama delegation, and the delegation from Kansas 
nominated Senator Pomeroy, when the nominations were 
closed, and, by direction of the President, the Secretary 
proceeded to call the roll, with the folding result : 



394 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 



THE BALLOT. 



STATES. 


o 

ED 


8 


6 
1 


a 

o 

3 


a 

a 




S 


o 

K 
o 

s 

c 


® 




as 

o 


Alabama 


4 
9 
1 


4 

""i 

6 

2 
2 


2 
1 

5 


2 










6... 

i 




Arkansas 












California 


2 














Colorado 














Connecticut 


4 


2 


4 










...... 




Dakota 










' 






Delaware 


6 
























2 
...» 


















Florida 


2 
6 


2 

2 


2 

6 
2 

3 










... 






Georgia 




1 












Idaho 












Illinois 




3 

26 


15 


11 














Indiana 




























16 










Kansas 














6 








Ke n tuck v 


















22 




Louisiana 








14 














Maine 








14 














Maryland 






1 














13 


Massachusetts 






















Michigan 


16 




















Minnesota 




8 
5 
20 
2 
6 
2 


















Mississippi 


5 


2 


3 
































Montana 




















Nebraska 






















Nevada 






4 
















New Hampshire 

New Jersey 


10 


















14 


























66 
















North Carolina 






18 
42 






































Oregon 




6 
3 






















2 






48 












Rhode Island 


2 




1 


























Tennessee 


6 

"To 

1 


o 

1 


11 
















Texas 


















Vermont 




















5 


2 


















West Virginia 




















































Total 




















J2 


13 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 



395 



The President. Gentlemen of the Convention, I read 
the statement of the vote. 

The total number of votes cast is 64S 

Necessary to a choice 325 

Mr. Wade has 149 

Mr. Fenton has 125 

Mr. Wilson has 119 

Mr. Colfax has 118 

Mr. Curtin has 50 

Mr. Hamlin has 28 

Mr. Speed has 22 

Mr. Harlan has 16 

Mr. Creswell has 13 

Mr. Kelley has 6 

You have made no choice. Is it your pleasure to pro- 
ceed to another call of the roll ? 

Mr. Wood of Kentucky. On behalf of the delegation 
from Kentucky, I withdraw the name of Mr. Speed. 

The Secretary then proceeded to call the States, with the 
following result : 

SECOND BALLOT. 



STATES. 


a 

o 

10 


o 
O 




a" 
o 

d 


a 
1 

w 


a 

3 
o 




ii 

10 
1 


1 


2 


2 














2 
6 
1 
2 
5 


5 


2 






Colorado 








4 


3 


4 












Delaware 










1 


District of Columbia 




2 








Florida..., 


2 

o 


2 

2 


2 

7 
2 
3 








7 






Idaho 






Illinois 




3 


14 


if 





396 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 
second ballot — Continued. 



STATES. 


o 
% 


V, 

o 

o 


6 


o 


c3 


o 


Indiana 




26 
4 
«> 

9 














10 

2 


2 






2 
13 




Kentucky 


2 




T ' • 

.Louisiana 


14 




Maine 








14 
1 




Maryland 


1 
24 


2 


10 






Massachusetts 






Michigan 


16 










Minnesota 




8 
5 
20 
2 
6 
2 








Mississippi 


4 




4 






Missouri 


o 






Montana 










Nebraska 












Nevada 






4 






New Hampshire 


10 








New Jersey 


14 










New \ork 






66 






North Carolina 


9 




9 
38 








4 

6 

9 








Oregon 










Pennsylvania 




5 






44 


Rhode Island 


5 

12 








[South Carolina 




1 




Tennessee 


6 


9 


11 






iexas 








Vermont 




10 
4 
3 

7 








"V irginia 


12 
6 


2 
1 
1 


2 






West Virginia 






Wisconsin 


6 


2 






113 




Total 


146 


169 


144 


30 


44 



THE ANNOUNCEMENT. 

The President. Gentlemen, I read the statement of the 
vote : 

Total number of votes cast 647 

Necessary to a choice 324 

Mr; Wade has 169 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 307 

Mr. Colfax has 146 

Mir. Fenton lias 142 

Mr. Wilson has 113 

Mr. Curtin has 45 

Mr. Hamlin has 30 

You have made no choice. Will the Secretary proceed 
"with the call of the roll ? 

Voices. "The roll!" 

The roll was called for the third time, when Alabama 
gave Wilson, 11; Wade, 2; Fenton, 2; Colfax, 1. Arkansas 
—Wilson, 10. California— Colfax, 1; Fenton, 1; Wade, 8. 
Colorado — Colfax, 6. Connecticut — Fenton, 7 ; Wade, 2 ; 
Colfax, 3. Dacotah — Colfax, 5 ; Fenton, 1. District Co- 
lumbia—Wade, 2. Florida— Colfax, 2 ; Wilson, 2 ; Fenton, 
2. Georgia— Colfax, 4; Wade, 6; Fenton, 8. Idaho— 
Fenton, 2. Illinois— Wade, 17; Hamlin, 6; Colfax, 4; 
Fenton, 3. Indiana — Colfax, 26. Iowa — Colfax, 8; Fen- 
ton, 8. Kansas — Colfax, 2; Wade, 2; Fenton, 2. Ken- 
tucky — Wade, 6 ; Colfax, 6 ; Fenton, 5. Maine — Hamlin, 
14. Maryland— Wade, 10; Colfax, 2; Wilson, 1; Hamlin, 
1. Massachusetts — Wilson, 24. Michigan — Colfax, 16. 
Minnesota — Wade, 7 ; Wilson, 1. Mississippi — Fenton, 5; 
Wilson, 2; Wade, 4; Colfax, 1. Missouri— Wade, 20; 
Colfax, 2. Montana — Wade, 2. Nebraska — Wade, 6. 
Nevada — Wade, 2; Fenton, 4. New Hampshire — Wilson, 
10. New Jersey— Colfax, 14. New York— Fenton, 66. 
North Carolina— Wade, 9; Wilson, 9. Ohio— Wade, 37; 
Colfax, 5. Oregon — Colfax, 6. Pennsylvania — Curtin, 
40 ; Wade, 7 ; Colfax, 5. Rhode Island— Colfax, 8. South 
Carolina— Wilson, 12. Tennessee— Fenton, 11; Colfax, 
6; Wade, 3. Texas— Wade, 11; Fenton, 1. Vermont— 
Colfax, 10. Virginia— Colfax, 6; Wade, 2; Wilson, 10; 
Fenton, 2. West Virginia— Colfax, 2; Wilson, 7; Wade, 
1. Wisconsin— Colfax, S ; Fenton, 5 ; Wade, 1 ; Hamlin, 2. 



398 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

THIRD BALLOT. 

The President. I read the statement of the vote : 

Total number of votes cast 647 

Necessary to a choice 324 

Mr. Wade has 178 

Mr. Colfax has 165 

Mr. Fenton has 139 

Mr. Wilson has 99 

Mr. Curtin has 40 

Mr. Hamlin has 25 

Mr. McClure, of Pennsylvania, then read a letter with- 
drawing the name of Governor Curtin, when the Secre- 
tary proceeded to call the roll for a fourth ballot. 

FOURTH BALLOT. 

Alabama— Wilson, 11; Wade, 2; Fenton, 2; Colfax, 1. 
Arkansas — Wilson, 8; Wade, 2. California — Colfax, 1; 
Fenton, 2 ; Wade, 7. Colorado — Colfax, 6. Connecticut — 
Fenton, 8; Wade, 2; Colfax, 2. Delaware— Colfax, 5; 
Fenton, 1. Dakotah — Colfax, 2. District Columbia — 
Wade, 2. Florida — Wilson, 2; Fenton, 2; Colfax, 2. 
Georgia — Wade, 5; Colfax, 5; Fenton, 8. Idaho — Fen- 
ton, 2. Illinois — Wade, 7; Hamlin, 6; Colfax, 6; Fenton, 
3. Indiana — Colfax, 26. Iowa — Colfax, 8; Fenton, 8. 
Kansas — Colfax, 2; Wade, 2; Fenton, 2. Kentucky — 
Wade, 12; Colfax, 10. Louisiana — Fenton, 9; Wade, 5. 
Maine— Hamlin, 14. Maryland— Wade, 10; Colfax, 3; 
Wilson, 1. Massachusetts — Wilson, 24. Michigan — Colfax, 
16. Minnesota — Wade, 7; Wilson, 1. Mississippi — Fen- 
ton, 4; Wilson, 4; Wade, 5; Colfax, 1. Missouri — Wade, 
20; Colfax, 22. Montana— Wade, 2. Nebraska— Wade, 6. 
Nevada — Wade, 2; Fenton, 4. New Hampshire — Wilson, 
10. New Jersey— Colfax, 14. New York— Fenton, 66. 
North Carolina — Wade, 8; Wilson, 7; Fenton, 1. Ohio — 
Wade, 36; Colfax, 6. Oregon — Colfax, 6. Pennsylvania 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 399 

—Wade, 33; Colfax, 14; Hamlin, 3. Rhode Island— Col- 
fax, 6; Wade, 2. South Carolina — Wilson, 7; Fenton, 5. 
Tennessee — Fenton, 11; Colfax, 6; Wade, 3. Texas — 
Wade, 11 ; Colfax, 1. Vermont — Colfax, 10. Virginia — 
Wade, 2; Wilson, 5; Fenton, 3. West Virginia — Wade, 1; 
Wilson, 5; Colfax, 4. Wisconsin — Colfax, 11; Fenton, 3; 
Hamlin, 3. 

The President. I read the statement of the vote : 

Total number of votes cast 646 

Necessary to a choice 324 

Mr. Wade has 204 

Mr. Colfax has 186 

Mr. Fenton has 144 

Mr. Wilson has 87 

Mr. Hamlin has 25 

The Secretary then called the roll on the fifth ballot, when 
votes were cast as follows : 

FIFTH BALLOT. 



States. 


Wade. 


Colfax. 


Fenton. 


Hamlin. 


Wilson. 


Alabama 


o 
9 

8 


1 


2 




11 






8 


California 


1 

('» 
4 
2 

4 


1 






Colorado 






Connecticut 


o 


6 






Dakotah 






Delaware 


o 

2 








District of Columbia 








Florida 


1 

3 


5 
10 

2 

3 






Georgia 


5 






Idaho 






J llinois 


19 


8 

26 

8 

2 

10 


2 




Indiana 




Iowa 




8 
2 






Kansas 


2 
12 

5 






Kentucky 






] jouisiana 


9 






Maine 




14 




Maryland 


10 


3 




1 


"Massachusetts , 






24 



400 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 
fifth ballot — Continued. 



States. 


Wade. 


Colfax. 


Fenton. 


Hamlin. 


Wilson. 






16 










7 

5 

2() 






1 




1 
o 


4 




3 










6 






















1 

9 




5 
1 






New Hampshire 








14 










66 








9 
36 


7 

6 

6 

30 

8 




2 


Ohio... 


















20 


1 


1 










3 
12 


7 




3 




17 
















10 

10 

9 

11 










2 
1 


5 




3 










2 


3 










Total 


206 


225 


140 


19 


56 



Before the result of this ballot was announced, Mr. Wil- 
liamson, of Iowa, said: Iowa desires to change the votes 
cast for Fenton to Colfax, and casts its entire sixteen votes 
for Colfax. 

Mr. McClure, of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania votes unan- 
imously for Colfax. 

Mr. Warmouth. I am directed by the delegation from 
Louisiana to change its fourteen votes for Schuyler Colfax. 

All the other States then changed their votes to Mr. Col- 
fax, and his nomination was made unanimous, amid the 
greatest enthusiasm. 

As soon as order could be restored, the President said : 
I have an important dispatch to read. It is one in which 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 401 

you will doubtless be much interested. It is addressed by 
the Hon. Schuyler Colfax to the Hon. J. B. Defrees, of In- 
diana, and he says, "I read, this morning, to General Grant, 
the midnight dispatches giving an abstract of the platform, 
and General Grant heartily approves its tone." 

A committee, to consist of the officers of the Convention, 
was appointed to call on General Grant and Speaker Col- 
fax and inform them of their nomination. 

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 

The Secretary then called the States, and the following 
was announced as the National Executive Committee : 
Alabama — James P. Stow. 
Arkansas — B. F. Rice. 
California — G. C. Gorham. 
Connecticut — Henry H. Starkweather. 
Delaware — Edward G. Bradford. 
Florida — S. B. Conover, 
Georgia — J. H. Caldwell. 
Illinois — J. It. Jones. 
Indiana — Cyrus N. Hams. 
Iowa — Joshua Fletcher. 
Kansas — John A. Barton. 
Kentucky — Allen A. Burton. 
Louisiana — M. H. Southworth. 
Maine — L. Barker. 
Maryland— C. C. Wulton. 
Massachusetts — TV. Clailin. 
Michigan — Marsh Giddings. 
Minnesota — J. T. Averill. 
Mississippi — A. Z. Fisk. 
Missouri — B. Loan. 
Nebraska— E. P. Taylor 
Nevada— C. E. DeLon 2 . 



402 LIFE 0F COLFAX. 

New Hampshire— W. E. Chandler. 
New Jersey — James Gopsill. 
New York — Horace Greeley. 
North Carolina — W. Sloan. 
Ohio— B. R. Howell. 
Oregon— H. W. Corbett. 
Pennsylvania — W. H. Kemble. 
Rhode Island — Lyman B. Frieze. 
South Carolina— Joseph H. Jenks. 
Tennessee — W. B. Stokes. 
Texas — A. J. Hamilton. 
Vermont— T. W. Parks. 
Virginia — Franklin Stearns. 
West Virginia — S. D. Karns. 
Wisconsin — David Atwood. 
Colorado — Daniel Witter. 
Dakotah — N. Edwards. 
Idaho— J. C Henley. 
Montana— E. M. Wilson. 

ADJOURNMENT. 

General Cochrane, of New York. I move that the con- 
vention do now adjourn, to meet again at the call of the 
National Committee. 

The President. Such a motion has previously been made 
and carried. The question is, shall the Convention now 
adjourn? Carried unanimously, and the Convention ad- 
journed. 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 403 



CHAPTER V. 

HOW MR. COLFAX RECEIVED HIS NOMINATION-GREETINGS FROM HIS 
BROTHER MEMBERS-TEE CROWD AT THE CAPITOL-SERENADE TO MR 
COLFAX-REPRESENTATIVE PIKE'S REMARKS-MR. COLFAx's SPEECH- 
RECEPTION OF THE SOLDIER'S COMMITTEE-THE SPEECHES-RECEPTION 
OF THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE-SPEECH OF GOVERNOR HAWLEY-REPLY 
OF SPEAKER COLFAX-HIS FORMAL LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE-GENERAL 
REMARKS — THE END. 

When Mr. Colfax was nominated, he was at his room in 
the Capitol, where he was, throughout the day, the recip- 
ient of complimentary calls from distinguished members of 
the Government. Mr. Orton, the President of the Union 
Telegraph Company, forwarded dispatches to him every few 
minutes, and when the one announcing his nomination was 
received, the greatest enthusiasm prevailed, and his brother 
members of the House crowded around him, and warmly 
congratulated him on his merited promotion. 

In the other wing of the Capitol a crowd of senators and' 
members had gathered about the Vice-President's room, 
where dispatches were read every ten or fifteen minutes,' 
announcing the progress of the ballots. When Mr. Wade 
heard that Colfax was nominated, the old "Ashtabula 
Chief" said: "Well, he deserves it, and will make a good 
run." ° 

Next evening a large procession, headed by a band, 
marched to Mr. Colfax's residence, where he was addressed 
by Representative Pike, of Maine, who spoke in behalf of 



404 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

the people. At the conclusion of Mr. Pike's speech, Speaker 
Colfax said : 

" My Friends : I thank you with all the fullness of a 
grateful heart for this flattering manifestation of your confi- 
dence and regard. I congratulate you on the auspicious 
opening of the eventful campaign on which we are entering. 
In the Chicago Convention, representing the entire con- 
tinental area of the republic, every State, every Territory, 
every district, and every delegate, from ocean to ocean, 
declared that their first and only choice for President was 
Ulysses S. Grant. Brave, and yet unassuming ; reticent, 
and yet, when necessary, firm as the eternal hills; with 
every thought, and hope, and aspiration for his country ; 
with modesty only equaled by his merits — it is not extrava- 
gant for me to say that he is to-day, of all other men in the 
land, 'first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of 
his countrymen.' His name is the very synonym of vic- 
tory, and he will lead the Union hosts to triumph at the 
polls as he led the Union armies to triumph in the field. 
But greater even than the conqueror of Yicksburg, and the 
destroyer of the rebellion, is the glorious inspiration of our 
noble principles, animated by the sublime truths of the 
Declaration of Independence. Our banner bears an inscrip- 
tion more magnetic than the names of its standard-bearers, 
which the whole world can see as it floats to the breeze, 
'Liberty and Loyalty, Justice and Public Safety.' Defying 
all prejudices, we are for uplifting the lowly and protecting 
the oppressed. History records, to the immortal honor of 
our organization, that it saved the nation and emancipated 
a race. We struck the fetter from the limb of the slave, 
and lifted millions into the glorious sunlight of liberty. We 
placed the emancipated slave on his feet as a man, and put 
into his right hand the ballot, to protect his manhood and 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 405 

his rights. We staked our political existence on the recon- 
struction of the revolted States — on the sure and eternal 
corner-stone of loyalty — and we shall triumph. I know 
there is no holiday contest before us ; but with energy and 
zeal, with principles that humanity will prove, and that I 
believe God will bless, we shall go through the contest 
conquering and to conquer, and on the 4th day of March 
next the people's champion will be borne by the people's 
votes to yonder White House, that I regret to say is now 
dishonored by its unworthy occupant. Then, with peace 
and confidence, we may expect our beloved country to enter 
upon a career of prosperity which shall eclipse the most 
brilliant annals of our past. I bid you God speed in this 
work, and now, good-night." 

At the conclusion of the speech, many of the people 
entered the house and shook the Speaker by the hand. 

On the 29th of May, 1868, at two o'clock, the committee 
from the Soldiers' and Sailors' National Convention, headed 
by their chairman, Colonel Alleman, of Pennsylvania, called 
on the Speaker at his rooms in the capitol, where a brief 
address was made by the chairman. 

Mr. Colfax replied, alluding, in striking terms, to the 
perils by land and sea which were endured by the soldiers 
and sailors of the Union in defense of the Constitution and 
flag of their country. Great as were the obligations of the 
nation to those at home who stood by the Government in its 
hour of trial, greater still was the debt of gratitude it owed 
to those who, leaving home and all at the risk of life and 
limb, to save the republic from destruction, going forth from 
every portion of the republic, some in the freshness of life's 
June, and some in the ripe maturity of life's October. The 
land, South and North, is filled with the graves of the 
nation's patriot sons. Their memory will ever be inscribed 



406 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

in all patriotic hearts as long as time shall last or the 
republic endure. Thanking the committee who represented 
the survivors of the heroic defenders of the Union for this 
expression of their esteem and regard, he closed with the 
assurance that if the ballot-box should ratify the nomina- 
tions at Chicago, his fidelity to principle and devotion to the 
Union would show that their confidence had not been mis- 
placed. 

A copy of the platform of principles was presented to 
the Speaker. The committee, after a few moments, retired, 
and the Speaker returned to his duties in the House of 
Representatives. 

In the evening of the same day, Mr. Colfax being 
present at General Grant's house, Governor Hawley, with 
the committee from the citizen's National Convention, paid 
respect to Mr. Colfax. General Hawley said: 

" Mr. Colfax : You have heard our declaration of prin- 
ciples at Chicago, and, therefore, I need not repeat them. 
You are aware that numerous candidates for the Vice-Presi- 
dency were presented. They were all loved and respected, 
and your selection was brought about by the good-will and 
friendship entertained for yourself. You are known to the 
American people by fourteen years of public service. We 
know you came from the people, and without false pretense, 
you are faithful to principle. The Convention tenders you 
the nomination for Vice-President, and asks your accep- 



Mr. Colfax replied: 

" Mr. President Hawley and Gentlemen : History has 
already proclaimed that the victories of the party you 
represent during the recent war always give increased hope 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 407 

and confidence to the nation, while its reverses and defeats 
ever increased the national peril. It is no light tribute, 
therefore, to the millions of [Republicans in the forty-two 
States and Territories represented in the Chicago Conven- 
tion, that our organization has been so inseparably inter- 
woven with the best interests of the republic, that the 
triumphs and reverses of the one have been the triumphs 
and reverses of the other. Since the General of our armies, 
with his heroic followers, crushed the rebellion, the carrying 
out of its policy, that loyalty should govern what loyalty 
preserved, has been worthy of its honored record in the 
war. Cordially agreeing with the platform adopted by its 
National Convention, and the resolutions thereto attached, 

I accept the nomination with which I have been honored, 
and will hereafter communicate that acceptance to you in 
the more formal manner that usage requires." 

There were long and continued demonstrations of ap- 
plause. 

The gentlemen present generally advanced and shook 
General Grant and Speaker Colfax by the hand, and con- 
gratulated them on the choice of the Convention. The 
party then withdrew to an adjoining room, where a collation 
had been provided. 

On the 30th of May, 1868, Speaker Colfax addressed the 
following eloquent letter to General Hawley, accepting the 
nomination of the Republican party for the Vice-Presidency : 

"Washington, D. C, May 30, 1868. 

II To Hon. J. R. Hawley, President of the National Union Republican 

Convention : 

"Dear Sir: The platform adopted by the patriotic 
Convention over which you presided, and the resolutions 
which so happily supplement it, so entirely agree with my 



408 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

views as to a just national policy, that my thanks are due 
to the delegates as much for this clear and auspicious 
declaration of principles, as for the nomination with which I 
have been honored, and which I gratefully accept. N 

"When a great rebellion, which imperiled the national 
existence, was at last overthrown, the duty of all others 
devolving on those intrusted with the responsibilities of 
legislation evidently was to require that the revolted States 
should be re-admitted into participation in the Government 
against which they erred only on such a basis as to increase 
and fortify, not to weaken or endanger the strength and 
power of the nation. Certainly no one ought to have 
claimed that they should be re-admitted under such a rule 
that their organization as States could ever again be used 
at the opening of a war to defy the national authority or to 
destroy national unity. This principle has been the pole- 
star of those who have inflexibly insisted on the congres- 
sional policy your Convention so cordially indorsed. Baf- 
fled by executive opposition and by persistent refusals to 
accept any plan of reconstruction proposed by Congress, 
justice, and public safety, at last combined to teach us that 
only by an enlargement of suffrage in those States could the 
desired end be attained, and that it was even more safe to 
give the ballot to those who loved the Union than to those 
who had sought ineffectually to destroy it. The assured 
success of this legislation is being written on the adamant 
of history, and will be our triumphant vindication. 

" More clearly, too, than ever before does the nation now 
recognize that the greatest glory of a republic is that it 
throws the shield of its protection over the humblest and 
weakest of its people, and vindicates the rights of the poor 
and the powerless as faithfully as those of the mighty and 
the powerful. 

"I rejoice, too, in this connection, to find in your plat- 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 409 

form the frank and fearless avowal that naturalized citizens 
must be protected abroad at every hazard, as though they 
were native born. Our whole people are foreigners or 
descendants of foreigners. Our fathers established by arms 
their right to be called a nation. It remains for us to 
establish the right, and welcome to our shores all who 
desire, by oaths of allegiance, to become American citizens. 
Perpetual allegiance, as claimed abroad, is only another 
name for perpetual bondage, and would make all slaves to 
the soil where first they saw the light. Our national 
cemeteries prove how faithfully these oaths of fidelity to the 
adopted land have been sealed in the life blood of thousands 
upon thousands. Should we not, then, be faithless to the 
dead, if we did not protect their living brethren in full 
enjoyment of that nationality for which, side by side with 
the native born, our soldiers of foreign birth laid down 
their lives? 

"It was fitting, too, that the representatives of a party 
which had proved so true to national duty in time of war, 
should speak so clearly in time of peace of the maintenance 
untarnished of the national honor and the national credit 
and good faith as regards its debt, the cost of our national 
existence. 

"I do not need to extend this reply by further comment 
on a platform which has elicited such hearty approval 
throughout the land ; the debt of gratitude it acknowledges 
to the brave men who saved the Union from destruction ; 
the frank approval of amnesty, based on repentance and 
loyalty ; the demand for the most rigid economy and hon- 
esty in the Government; the sympathy of the party of 
liberty with all throughout the world who long for the 
liberty we here enjoy, and the recognition of the sublime 
principles of the Declaration of Independence, are worthy 
of the organization on whose banners they are to be written 



410 LIFE OF COLFAX. 

in the coming contest. Its past record can not be blotted 
out or forgotten. If there had been no Republican party, 
slavery would to-day cast its baleful shadow over the 
republic. If there had been no Republican party, free 
press and free speech would be as unknown, from the 
Potomac to the Rio Grande, as ten years ago. If the 
Republican party could have been stricken from existence 
when the banner of the rebellion was unfurled, and when the 
response of 'no coercion' was heard at the North, we 
would have had no nation to-day. But for the Republican 
party daring the risk and the odium of tax and draft laws, our 
flag could not have been kept flying in the field until the 
long-hoped for victory came. Without a Republican party 
the Civil Rights Bill, the guarantee of equality under the 
law to the humble and defenseless, as well as to the strong, 
would not be to-day upon our national statute book. 

" With such inspiration from the past, and following the 
example of the founders of the republic who called the 
victorious General of the Revolution to preside over the 
land his triumphs had saved from its enemies, I can not 
doubt that our labors will be crowned with success, and it 
will be a success that shall bring restored hope, confidence, 
prosperity, and progress South as well as North, West as 
well as East, and, above all, the blessings, under Providence, 
of national concord and peace. 

"Very truly, yours, 

"Schuyler Colfax." 

To sum up our estimate of Mr. Colfax's character, we 
have only to say farther, that the nation believes in him, 
trusts him, and is willing to confide its interests to him, 
confident that if either in the speedy or remote future he 
should be called to the Presidency, he will not disappoint 
the hopes of those who should elect him, or prove treacher- 



LIFE OF COLFAX. 411 

ous to the convictions he had previously avowed. He can 
not, and will not, under any temptation, be other than a 
true, honest, upright, God-fearing, manly man. 

Thousands of young men will cast their first vote this 
fall, and we hope they will begin their political lives right, 
by voting for the Republican ticket. Hurrah for Grant 
and Colfax! 



APPENDIX 



The foregoing pages of our work were written early in 
the campaign; and for this appendix was necessarily re- 
served the brief but pleasant story of the triumphant suc- 
cess (for the third time in the people's choice of Chief 
Magistrate) of those great principles for which the Martyr 
President gave his life, as the many thousands more who 
sleep in soldiers' graves gave theirs; for which Grant, 
also, fought from the beginning to the end of the war, and 
whose chosen standard-bearer he was during the presidential 
contest of 1868. 

The so-called National Democratic Convention met in 
New York City on the 4th of July, and after four days of 
turmoil, contention, and mutual " throat-cutting," threw 
overboard all its prominent candidates, Pendleton, Hen- 
dricks, and Hancock, and nominated Horatio Seymour, its 
own presiding officer, by acclamation. General Frank P. 
Blair, who, when he laid aside the uniform of a loyal sol- 
dier, seems likewise to have laid aside all the principles of 
one, had made a bold and unscrupulous bid in the notorious 
Brodhead letter for the nomination for Vice-President, and 
he received it. 

Never, since the Democratic party became a baneful 
power in American politics, had it shown such fatuity 
in the selection of candidates. The nominations were 
(412) 



APPENDIX. 



413 



every-where received with coldness or disgust. Never- 
theless, the party rallied desperately to the support of its 
ticket, and for several weeks indulged in very rose-colored 
anticipations of success. The October elections proved, 
conclusively, the folly of its hopes. Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
and Indiana, with one or two smaller States, were each 
cnrried by the Republicans after an intensely heated can- 
vass, and thenceforward the Presidential contest was sim- 
ply a question of majorities. The election came off on the 
3d of November, resulting in the choice of Grant and Col- 
fax by a decisive majority, as follows: 





POPULAR VOTE. 


klhct'l vote. 


STATES. 


Grant. 


Seymour. 


Rep. llaj. 


Dem. Maj. 


Grant. 


Seym. 




76366 

22152 
54592 

500H 
7623 


72080 
19078 
54078 
47000 
10980 


4280 

3074 

514 

3041 




8 
5 
5 
6 
...... 

'"i'o 

13 
8 
3 

7 

'"l2 
8 
4 

...... 

3 
3 

5 

....„ 

21 

"26 
4 
6 
10 

5 

""*5 

8 




Arkansas 


















3357 


3 


Florida [by Legislature]... 






57131 
250293 
176552 
129399 

31019 
39566 

33263 
70426 
3043S 
136477 
128550 
43542 


102822 

199143 

10G980 

74040 

14019 

115889 

80225 

4230!; 

62357 

59408 

97069 

28072 




45688 


9 




51150 
9572 
#6359 

17030 
























70323 
46962 


11 




'28030 


7 








31919 


7 




77069 
31481 
15170 
















Mississippi [no vote] 






85671 

9729 
10000 

8S191 
80121 

419883 
90221) 

280 128 
10901 

342280 
12993 
62301 
50757 


59788 

5439 

8600 

31224 

83001 

429883 

84090 

238700 

11125 

313382 

054S 

45237 

20311 


25883 
4290 
1400 
6967 
























2880 
10000 


7 






83 




12130 
41428 




Ohio . 






101 


•j 




28898 

0444 

17004 

30446 

32122 






























44107 


12045 














29025 
108857 


20300 
81710 


8719 
24147 














Total 


3016353 

52.cn 


2706681 

47.W 


< net) 109722 
5.38 




214 
Ti 


80 


Per cent 




2S 



414 APPENDIX. 

In Florida, the right to choose Presidential Electors, in 
consideration of the disorganized state of the people, was 
reserved by the Legislature to itself; and the three electors 
thus chosen cast their votes for Grant. The States of Mis- 
sissippi, Texas, and Virginia having failed to accept the Con- 
gressional terms of reconstruction, and being still under 
provisional governments, did not participate in the election. 
Had they done so, the vote of the Electoral College would 
have been increased by twenty-three votes, making an ag- 
gregate of 317 votes ; but even if they had all gone Dem- 
ocratic, Grant would still have had 214 votes to Seymour's 
103 — more than two-thirds of the whole number. 

It was a glorious victory for the cause of Union, liberty, 
and progress. Yet it would have been still more decisive, 
but for the wholesale and infamous frauds perpetrated by 
the Democracy in New York City, by which alone, as there 
is every reason to believe, the State was carried for Sey- 
mour, and Hoffman, the mayor of New York, elected Gov- 
ernor. 

On Wednesday, the 2d of December, the electors chosen 
assembled at their respective State capitals, and cast their 
votes for President and Vice-President, which votes were duly 
forwarded to "Washington in the manner prescribed by law. 

The second Wednesday of February is the day fixed by 
an act of Congress for the formal counting of the electoral 
votes, in the presence of the two houses of Congress as- 
sembled in joint convention for that purpose. Ordinarily, 
the process is one of comparatively little interest; but the 
scene witnessed on the 10th of February in the hall of the 
House of Representatives, where the joint convention as- 
sembled, was one, not merely of interest, but of intense 
excitement. The Georgia delegation to the lower branch 
of Congress had been admitted to full membership by that 
body, but the Senate had refused to receive the Georgia 



APPENDIX. 415 

Senators, because that State had not fully complied with the 
reconstruction acts. Under these circumstances, it was 
foreseen that the question of receiving the electoral votes 
of Georgia (which by the House was thus recognized as a 
State, but by the Senate was still regarded as unrecon- 
structed) might occasion serious controversy. To prevent 
any such unpleasant occurrence during the counting of the 
votes, the two houses of Congress had adopted a concurrent 
resolution some days before, providing that if the vote of 
Georgia would not affect the result — as it could not, unless it 
should be found that other votes would have to be thrown out 
on account of irregularities yet unknown — they would waive 
all considerations of irregularity and allow the vote of that 
State to be counted with the rest, and directing the Presi- 
dent of the Senate to report the result of the vote in the 
following words : 

" ' Were the votes presented (as of the State of Georgia) to 

be counted, the result would be, for for President of the 

United States, votes; if not counted, for for Presi- 
dent of the United States, votes ; but in either case 

is elected President of the United States ; ' and in the same 
manner for Vice-President." 

At precisely one o'clock, on the 10th of February, the Sen- 
ate and the officers of the Senate entered the hall of the House 
of Representatives, and were ushered to their seats. Acting 
Vice-President Wade took the Speaker's chair as presiding 
officer of the joint convention ; the tellers, consisting of Senator 
Conkling, of New York, and Representatives James F. Wilson, 
of Iowa, and Pruyn, of New York, took their seats at the 
clerk's desk, flanked on either side by Mr. Gorham, Secretary 
of the Senate, and Mr. McPherson, Clerk of the House. 
Speaker Colfax took position on the dais immediately at the 
left of Mr. Wade, with the digest in his hand and his fingers 
on what is now the historical twenty-second joint rule of the 



416 APPENDIX. 

two Houses. Expectation now became eager, and the 
movements of the presiding officer and the tellers bore the 
scrutiny of every curious eye. The bundle of envelopes 
containing the electoral votes was on the desk of Mr. Wade, 
and the first seal broken was that of New Hampshire, whose 
certificate was read in Mr. Conkling's most distinct tones, 
and her five votes duly recorded for Grant and Colfax. 
Massachusetts followed next with the same result, and then 
it was suggested that the reading of the certificates in extenso 
be omitted, and that the tellers simply announce what they 
found to be the result of the certificate in their hands. The 
suggestion was accepted, greatly shortening what had prom- 
ised to be a long and tedious process. Mr. Conkling and 
Mr. Wilson announced the Republican votes, and Mr. Pruyn 
the Democratic. Mr. Pruyn's turn began with New York, 
which he read off in an unctuous, most gratified manner, 
greatly to the amusement of the members and spectators, 
who were finally obliged to give vent to their merriment by 
a roar of laughter, as he followed this up by reading the 
votes of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, with still 
increasing satisfaction and self-complacency. Fifteen States 
were thus announced, amid the rapt attention of all in 
the hall. Then the pelican seal of the State of Louisiana 
was broken, and Mr. Mullins, an illiterate member from 
Tennessee, and the "butt" of the House, shot out of his 
seat, and shouting, " Mr. President, I object," called for 
the reading of the certificate in full. This unlooked-for 
and foolish introduction of an apple of discord, after a few 
minutes of indecision and fragmentary discussion, resulted 
in the retirement of the Senate, and the House was left 
alone. This action was taken in accordance with what is 
known as the twenty-second joint rule for counting the 
electoral vote, the point of which is, that if, in counting the 
electoral vote, any question shall arise about the vote of 



APPENDIX. 417 

any State, the Senate shall at once retire to its own cham- 
ber, and each branch shall then decide the question at issue 
without debate. 

Within half an hour both branches had decided by large 
majorities that the vote of Louisiana should be received, 
"whereupon, the joint convention re-assembled, and the read- 
ing of the votes continued as before. The Nevada certifi- 
cate was found to be informal, but no further questions were 
raised until the last State was reached. This was unfortu- 
nate Georgia. Butler, of Massachusetts, sprang to his feet 
in an instant, with an objection. Fire was in his eye, and 
the bully in his manner. It was evident that he intended 
making a row, and one as great as possible. A score of 
members quickly rose, three or four of them interposing 
points of order. Mr. Wade's duty plainly was to overrule 
the objection, and hold the convention sternly up to the 
execution of the concurrent resolution, expressly intended 
to meet just such an emergency. But Butler insisted upon 
his objection, and, in the confusion and excitement of the 
moment, fairly faced down the presiding officer. Mr. Wade, 
not well versed in Parliamentary usage, and desirous of not 
giving any cause of offense, allowed Mr. Butler's objection 
to be read by the teller. When this had been done, Mr. 
Wade decided that they could not be received, for the reason 
that the two branches of Congress had precluded their re- 
ception by the rule of Monday. Mr. Butler appealed from 
the decision, and, when Mr. Wade stated that no appeal 
could be taken in joint convention, Mr. Butler insolently 
appealed to the House to overrule this decision. 

Mr. Wade seemed to see a storm brewing, and, evidently 
to avoid trouble, directed the Senate to retire, and announced 
that each branch of the joint convention would vote on the 
question presented by Mr. Butler's objection. 

The House at once voted on the square issue of receiving 



418 APPENDIX. 

or not receiving the vote of Georgia, and in defiance of the 
joint rule decided, by a large majority, to exclude it entire- 
ly, many members excusing their votes privately on the 
ground that the Georgia electors did not meet on the proper 
day, but one week too late. 

The Senate had a stormy time over the question at issue, 
and did not decide it for more than an hour. A dozen 
resolutions were offered and rejected, and finally that of 
Mr. Edmunds was adopted. It was based on the assump- 
tion that neither branch could alone repeal the joint rule, 
and that as matters stood there was nothing to do but enforce 
it, and the presiding officer was therefore instructed on the 
j)art of the Senate, not to entertain Mr. Butler's objection, 
or any other objection or points of order. 

The news of this action in the upper branch reached the 
House before the Senate did, and Mr. Butler and his cabal 
at once began preparations for a fight. The Senators at 
length filed in as before. Mr. Wade took his place, an- 
nounced the re-assembling of the joint convention, called 
attention to the rules governing it, and said he could not 
entertain Mr. Butler's objection. There was a buzz through- 
out the galleries. Every body saw Butler standing in his 
place, and expected him to protest, but probably not one of 
the great audience believed he would do what he did do. 

Throwing up his head, he pushed back his coat cuffs, 
squared himself before his desk, and in a loud voice, shouted 
out an appeal from the decision of the presiding officer. 
Babel broke loose at once, and for half an hour by the clock, 
reigned supreme. 

Mr. Wade had made one or two funny rulings during the 
day, but now, though excited, he clearly knew what he was 
about. He refused to entertain the appeal for the very 
sensible reason that, as Mr. Colfax clearly explained after- 
ward, no appeal in a joint convention of this kind was 



APPENDIX. 419 

possible. Having announced this decision, he directed the 
tellers to foot up the vote of the Electoral College. 

Mr. Butler shouted out to the House to stand by its rights, 
and insolently demanded that the Senate should leave the 
chamber. 

Mr. "Wade rapped to order again and again, but the heavi- 
est blows of his gavel were scarcely heard three yards away. 
The din and confusion of the chamber equaled that of the 
worst days of drunk and maddened slaveholders. Mr. But- 
ler was gesticulating furiously, and throwing taunts across 
at the Senate, which could be only half heard in the gallery 
above. The spectators on the floor were crowding down to 
the front, forgetful in the excitement of the moment of what 
was due to courtesy and privilege. Forty or fifty Repub- 
licans and a dozen Democrats were on their feet, each one 
adding his part to the disgraceful scene of Bedlam. 

Mr. Farnsworth on one side of the chamber, was mixing 
in the fight with an intent not clearly seen, while Ingersoll, 
on the other side, was shouting across the area, evidently 
bent on preventing Farnsworth from doing something. Half 
a dozen Senators were trying to say something. Mr. Shanks 
was urging on the melee, apparently in Butler's interest, 
while Eldridge was crying out derisively, "Let us have 
peace," "Let us have peace." Mr. Wade kept rapping with 
his mallet. Mr. Saulsbury sprang up to say something, but 
was pulled down by his friends. Mr. Van Horn, of Mis- 
souri, came to the front and shouted out a point of order. 
Somebody moved an adjournment sine die. Mr. Wood call- 
ed for the Sergeant-at-Arms. Several Senators were on the 
floor and screaming at the top of their voices. 

Mr. Butler again flung up an arm at the Senate, and cried 
out that the House wanted its chamber cleared of interlop- 
ers. 

Senator Doolittle sternly demanded that the joint rule 



420 APPENDIX. 

should be executed by an announcement. ["I object," "I 
object," "I object/'] 

The older and more respectable Senators hung their heads 
and blushed for shame at the mob-like scene. The galleries 
hung over in amazement. The occupants of the diplomatic 
quarter sat silently studying the lesson in Congressional 
manners. Mr. Banks tried to get the floor for a soothing 
speech. Wade rapped hard and swift with his ivory gavel. 
Doolittle again demanded the announcement of the result. 
Somebody on the Republican side in the back part of the 
chamber, shouted, " We want the Senate to get out of here." 
Mr. Conkling began the announcement, but his voice was 
drowned by a storm of yells, cat-calls, etc. 

Speaker Colfax sprang to his feet and declared if there 
was any further resistance on the part of members of the 
House to the orders of the presiding officer, he would direct 
their instant arrest. Mr. Butler tossed up his head and 
slowly settled into his seat. The Sergeant-at-Arms walked 
over and stood by Ingersoll. Mr. Conkling rose and read oif 
the result of the votes. He wasinterrupted by considerable 
noise, but made himself heard. 

Mr. Wade, in the exact terms of the joint resolution, then 
declared Ulysses S. Grant elected President, and Schuyler 
Colfax Yice-President, for the next four years. In a 
moment more the joint convention was dissolved, and the 
Senators were retiring from the chamber. 

Immediately upon the retiring of the Senate, the Speaker 
asked leave to make a statement, which cleared up the con- 
fusion very decidedly. Mr. Butler offered, as a question of 
privilege, a resolution declaring that the act of the presid- 
ing officers of the joint convention was a gross act of op- 
pression and tyranny, and the House should protest against 
it. This led to a heated and acrimonious debate of two 
days' continuance, in which Speaker Colfax spoke most ably 



APPENDIX. 421 

in defense of the course pursued by Mr. Wade, as well as his 
own, winning golden opinions on all sides for the admirable 
poise and self-possession he manifested under no common 
provocation. Butler substituted a much milder resolution, 
and put forth every art in his power to explain away the 
odium which his disgraceful conduct had fastened upon him. 
But the House of Representatives had too high a regard for 
its own character and the decencies of legislation to pass the 
matter by, and finally tabled Butler's resolution, thereby im- 
plying its censure, by the decisive vote of 130 to 55. 

GRANT OFFICIALLY INFORMED OF HIS ELECTION — HIS SPEECH 
TO THE COMMITTEE. 

The joint committee, composed of Senator Morton, Rep- 
resentatives James F. Wilson, of Iowa, and T. L. Pruyn, of 
New York, appointed by Congress to officially inform General 
Grant of his election as President of the United States, waited 
on him at half-past ten o'clock on February 13th, at his head- 
quarters, and discharged the duty assigned them. The cere- 
mony took place in the General's private office. About 
two dozen gentlemen were present, among whom were nearly 
all the members of the General's staff, Representative Rob- 
ertson, General Logan and one or two personal friends. 
The whole affair did not occupy more than twenty minutes. 
After the usual courtesies, Senator Morton, on behalf of the 
committee, informed General Grant of the object of their 
visit, adding a few remarks appropriate to the occasion, and 
then handed to him the official notification or certificate of 
his election, which reads as follows : 

"Be it known that the Senate and House of Representa- 
tives of the United States of America being assembled at 
the capitol, in the city of Washington, on the second Wed- 
nesday, being the tenth day of February, in the year of 
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, the 



422 APPENDIX. 

underwritten, President of the Senate, did, in presence of 
said Senate and House of Representatives, open all the cer- 
tificates and count all the votes of the electors for a Presi- 
dent and Vice-President, by which it appears that Ulysses 
S. Grant was duly elected, agreeably to the Constitution, 
President of the United States, for four years, commencing 
on the 4th day of March, 1869. In witness whereof, I have 
hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Senate, 
this 10th day of February, 1869. 

"B. F. Wade, 

President of the Senate, pro tern." 

General Grant, on receiving this certificate, made the fol- 
lowing response, speaking very deliberately and with evi- 
dent embarrassment : 

" I can promise the committee that it will be my endeavor 
to call around me as assistants such men only as I think will 
carry out the principles which you have said the country 
desires to see successful — economy, retrenchment, faithful 
collections of the revenue, and payment of the public debt. 
If I should fail in my first choice, I shall not at any time 
hesitate to make a second, or even a third trial, with the 
concurrence of the Senate, which has the confirming power. 
I should just as soon remove one of my own appointees as 
the appointee of my predecessor. It would make no differ- 
ence. There is one matter that I might possibly speak of 
here, and that is the selection of a cabinet. I have always 
felt that it would be rather indelicate to announce, or even 
to consult with, the gentlemen whom I thought of inviting 
to positions in my cabinet before the official declaration of 
the result of the election was made, although I presumed 
that there was no doubt about what the declaration would 
be. But after consideration I have come to the conclusion 
that there is not a man in the country who could be invited 



APPENDIX. 423 

to a place in the cabinet without the friends of some other 
gentleman making an effort to secure the position, not that 
there would be any objection to the party named, but that 
there would be others whom they had set their hearts upon 
having in the place. I can tell that from the great number 
of requests which come to me in writing and otherwise for 
this particular person or that one, from different sets and 
delegations. If announced in advance, efforts would be 
made to change my determination, and therefore I have 
come to the conclusion not to announce whom I am going 
to invite to seats in the cabinet until I send in their names 
to the Senate for confirmation. If I say any thing to them 
about it, it will certainly not be more than two or three days 
previous to sending in their names. I think it well to make 
a public declaration of this to the committee, so that my 
intentions may be known." 

At the conclusion of General Grant's remarks, Mr. Pruyn 
stepped forward and said : 

" General — In the great principles which you have marked 
out for the conduct of your administration, you will have the 
political support of those with whom I am associated ready 
to act with you." 

General Grant made no response to this beyond his thanks. 

The committee and most of the gentlemen present then 
shook hands with him and retired. 

They afterward waited upon Mr. Colfax at the Capitol, and 
were received in the Speaker's room. A similar notification 
was handed to him by Mr. "Wilson, when he handed to the 
committee his response in writing, as follows : 

" Gentlemen — Please convey to the two Houses of Con- 
gress my acceptance of the office to which I have been elected 
by the people of the United States, and assure them that I 
shall endeavor to prove worthy of this mark of confidence 
by fidelity to principle and duty." This ended the ceremony. 



424 APPENDIX. 

As inauguration day drew near, immense crowds began 
pouring into Washington from every portion of the Union, 
and by Wednesday, the 3d of March, the city was full to 
overflowing — the accommodations of hotels, boarding-houses, 
and private residences being taxed to their utmost, yet 
proving insufficient. A pouring rain fell during Wednesday 
night, continuing until some time after daylight on Thurs- 
day morning, the day of the inauguration. Nevertheless, 
the route along which the procession was to pass was soon 
thronged with people. The troops and various organiza- 
tions which were to take part in the procession began to 
take their places around the War Department and General 
Grant's head-quarters about 10 A. M. Shortly after that 
hour, Vice-President Colfax reached head-quarters and went 
immediately to General Grant's office, and after a cordial 
greeting with the President elect and members of his staff, 
entered into conversation with the gentlemen present on or- 
dinary topics. At precisely 11 o'clock the marshals en- 
tered head-quarters. The troops were every-where sta- 
tioned at their proper posts. 

General Grant, as calm and composed as ever in his life, 
came from his office and entered his phaeton, accompanied 
by General Rawlins. Vice-President-elect Colfax came 
next, and entered the next carriage, accompanied by Ad- 
miral Bailey, of the navy, one of the committee. Members 
of the staff of the General next entered carriages, with the 
committees of Congress and of different organizations pres- 
ent. 

As the procession started, the band struck up " Hail to 
the Chief." Regular and other troops were drawn up along 
the square, and came to a present arms as the carriages 
containing the President elect, with his head uncovered, 
drove slowly along, while immense cheers rent the air on 
every side. The sun was now shinging brightly after the 



APPENDIX. 425 

morning's rain, banners waved gayly, and the eager and 
expectant crowds were all in exuberant spirits. The col- 
umn was formed of eight divisions, and made up of regular 
infantry, artillery, and cavalry, militia from abroad, quicker 
in movement and far gayer in dress than the regulars, and 
firemen, Boys in Blue, Veteran, German and Irish Clubs, 
the municipal authorities, prominent officials, political organ- 
izations, and citizens and strangers on foot, on horseback, 
and in carriages. Sixteen or eighteen bands were in the line. 

Carriages had been prepared for Mr. Johnson and his 
Cabinet. A staff officer went in to invite these latter out, 
but the late President chose to refuse, and sent a curt word 
that neither himself nor his Cabinet would join the proces- 
sion or go to the Capitol. 

From this moment the line moved on without hinder- 
ance past the Treasury, fronting north and east, packed 
with thousands answering to the hundreds crowding the 
windows of the Revenue Bureau opposite, through the 
dense lining of the pavements out into the broad avenue, 
reaching a mile and a half, up to the Capitol. Here the 
thousands and thousands who could not get reasonably 
near the Capitol, were packed. Each pavement was full. 
The trees blossomed black with men and boys. Platforms 
built along the inner line of the pavement were filled. Bal- 
conies had been hired months in advance, and the holders 
of the leases were here to settle and see. All the windows 
were like great protruding eyes of the houses fronting the 
scene. Roofs were covered, and from gutter to house-tops 
men and women were piled up and back till the long pro- 
cession seemed to be moving through a great channel, 
grooved only from thick strata of men. All the way there 
was shouting and waving of banners, and scarfs, and hand- 
kerchiefs as the line moved on. It was as if a cloudy pil- 
lar of immense size moved with its front, and hung above 



426 APPENDIX. 

the men to whom the nation intrusted its destinies on the 
threshold of a new life. Thus it moved down the avenue, 
around the south front of the Capitol, and filed into the 
area in front of the' eastern porch, took position in columns, 
long battalion lines, and stood waiting for the proceedings 
in the Senate to close. 

In the Senate chamber, meanwhile, as there appeared to 
be no further business to transact, or, at least no disposition 
to do any thing else, Senators began to chat with each other 
and change seats, and in a few minutes the desks on the right 
hand side of the chamber were left vacant for the occupa- 
tion of the diplomatic corps and other invited guests who 
kept coming. The diplomates, however, entered in a body 
and attracted immediate attention by the splendor of their 
uniforms and their dignified bearing. All the legations were 
represented, and the ministers of the principal foreign na- 
tions were all present, except Baron Gerolt, of the Prussian 
legation, who was detained at home by sickness. Soon 
afterward a buzz of excitement called attention to the ap- 
pearance at a side door of the President and Vice-Pres- 
ident elect, who entered arm in arm respectively with Sen- 
ators Cragin and McCreery, the committee appointed to 
escort them to the chamber. 

Almost at the same moment, and before they had reached 
the open space in front of the chair, the door of the main 
entrance was thrown open, and the Justices of the Supreme 
Court, headed by Chief Justice Chase, and clad in their 
robes of office, entered the Senate chamber, and walked in 
procession down the center aisle, and took seats prepared 
for them in front of the rostrum, and on the right of the 
Secretary of the Senate. The chairs on the left were to 
have been filled by Johnson and his Cabinet, but they re- 
mained vacant all day. 

The presiding officer having announced that all was in 



APPENDIX. 427 



readiness for the inauguration of the Vicc-Presiflent elect, 
Mr. Colfax advanced up the steps of the rostrum, and 
facing the presiding officer, took the usual oath of office, 
which the latter administered. Turning to the Senate, 
Mr. Colfax, with great distinctness, yet manifest feeling, de- 
livered the following address, which was listened to with 
the deepest attention: 

"Senators: In entering upon the duties of this chamber, 
to the performance of which I have been called by the 
people of the United States, I realize fully the delicacy as 
well as the responsibility of the position. Presiding over a 
body whose members are in so large a degree my seniors in 
age, not chosen by the body itself, I shall certainly need 
the assistance of your support and your generous forbear- 
ance and confidence. But pledging to you all a faithful 
and inflexible impartiality in the administration of your 
rules, and earnestly desiring to cooperate with you in mak- 
ing the deliberations of the Senate worthy, not only of its 
historic renown, but also of these States whose commissions 
you hold. I am now ready to take the oath of office re- 
quired by law." 

Mr. Wade then declared the Senate adjourned, and va- 
cated the Vice-President's chair. 

Mr. Colfax took up the ivory gavel as it was laid down by 
his predecessor, and at once called the new Senate to order. 
General Grant was seated in front of the Chief Justice, fac- 
ing the whole House, apparently as calm and unconcerned as 
if in his own office. He was dressed in a plain and simple 
suit of black. The new Senators came forward in groups of 
three, and were sworn in. 

The organization of the new Senate having been com- 
pleted, it was announced that the Senate, Supreme Court, 
and invited spectators would proceed to the east portico of 
the Capitol, to participate in the ceremonies of the inaugu- 



428 APPENDIX. 

ration of the President elect. A procession was accordingly 
formed, and the late occupants of the floor of the Senate pro- 
ceeded through the corridors and rotunda to the place indi- 
cated. 

When all had reached the platform, a scene was presented 
never equaled at any previous inauguration. In front of 
the portico, but about ten feet lower (being on a level with 
the first landing place of the flight of marble steps), had been 
constructed a platform capable of accommodating, together 
with the steps, about five hundred or six hundred persons. 
It had a semicircular front, which was covered with wreaths 
of evergreens. The national flag was also entwined with 
two of the columns supporting the pediment of the portico. 
General Grant advanced to the front and center, followed 
by the Justices of the Supreme Court, and seated himself 
by the side of Mr. Chase. Back of them was crowded 
the Senate ; in the rear of them such of Grant's old asso- 
ciates as Sherman, George II. Thomas, Howard, his own 
staff, Sickles, Terry, Hancock, and a dozen others whose 
names the country knows well. On the steps, as near as 
possible, was a large delegation from the diplomatic corps, 
the largest which ever appeared in public on any one occa- 
sion in the Capitol. Back of their right was the old House 
of Representatives and the fifty members of the new. Rep- 
resentatives of all the leading papers in the country, includ- 
ing the artists of the pictorials, were grouped on each side 
of General Grant and along the front of the platform. Near 
General Grant, and a little behind him, sat Mrs. Grant, accom- 
panied by her sister, Mrs. Sharp, and Mrs. Casey, her sister- 
in-law ; Mrs. General Dent and her children, Jennie and Nel- 
lie, and Masters Fred and U. S., Jr. The marine band, in 
full numbers, was placed within the square on the north side 
of the broad central flight where, with their scarlet dresses 
and bright instruments, they looked like a great vase of 



APPENDIX. 429 

flowers set in the background. Such was the platform and 
its occupants, lifted some ten feet above the great level area 
in front. 

At ten the clouds had opened ; the rain had closed ; the 
blue sky appeared, and the sun shone out warm and bright. 
It seemed as if the storm and rain were for the old and the 
sunshine for the new. But that light fell on such a company 
as the Capitol has never seen before. From the whole im- 
mense front of eight hundred feet the platform could be 
plainly seen. 

The steps of either wing were transformed into great pyr- 
amids of men, and every window blossomed with bland faces, 
with ribbons, and gayly-colored dresses. The balustrading 
around the roof was fringed with faces, and every cornice 
which would hold a man had its occupant. The building 
was alive with eyes, and fluttering at every crevice, and from 
every foothold, with all the gay colors and airy textures 
which fashion furnishes and which crowds arrange into great 
wreaths. Then there were flags above, and flags around the 
great pillars of the porch, and flags from the top to the 
ground around all the platform looking eastward. The scene 
was one befitting the occasion. All the tribes had come up 
with rejoicing, and were in waiting with thanksgiving before 
the national temple. Next the platform, and facing it, were 
the long lines of soldiers. First a regiment of gayly-colored 
Zouaves, with a profusion of gold on a dark uniform, and red 
knapsacks ; back of them regular soldiers ; next Zouaves in 
bright scarlet, their lines in cadet gray and white trappings ; 
three thousand of Black Boys in Blue, with caps and capes 
and torch-staffs, each surmounted with a flag; then black 
Zouaves in brilliant uniforms, and then the lines became 
mingled in the distance, and stretched away to the right be- 
yond the House wing — to the left further than the Senate; 
while the Philadelphia firemen and the Washington fire bri- 



430 APPENDIX. 

gade, with machinery sparkling like gold work. A ship full- 
rigged, to typify the Ship of State, and gayly-dressed omni- 
buses, with veterans of 1812, relieved the partial monotony 
of the great sea of faces. 

The park, fronting the porch, was full from east side to 
west. The trees were filled and the evergreens packed with 
men, and all the strong branches w r ere loaded in the distance 
like roosts of enormous birds. All roofs commanding a view 
of the Capitol front and the great area were covered till the 
multitude which looked on those Capitol steps from the main 
building, the dome, the wings, from the great streams and 
upon acres of life in front, was past all numbering. 

The order was perfect. There w r as little stir, save when 
the outer edges were expanding with the oncoming current 
of life which rolled in and became fixed on the outer rim of 
that sea of humanity. 

When the front doors leading from the rotunda were first 
opened, from that great multitude went up a shout which 
carried with it the impatience of hours of waiting, and then 
every one seemed busy looking for the hero of the day. 
Those acres were almost as quiet as if sown over instead 
with the graves of Arlington. 

After the members of the House, which was the principal 
crowd to appear, had seated themselves, there came down 
the broad steps a medium-sized man in plain clothes, fol- 
lowed by the robed Justices of the Supreme Court. Upon 
this dark background of black silk, the form, the light features, 
and the light hair of President Grant stood clearly out ; then 
the deep silence was broken by a shout springing from dome 
and roof, from the center and wings, from the broad areas 
in front, and from the far flanks of the crowded multitude. 
It rose and fell, and rose again, as if lifting the atmosphere 
with its breath ; and then, at a signal from some one near 
the President, it sank into a silence as plainly felt as the 



APPENDIX. 431 

shouting ^as. The silence seemed to roll outward from the 
stand, laying all the waves of sound. There seemed scarce 
a stir anywhere, except as gay banners waved and torn ones 
fluttered their rags like wounded things. 

Chief Justice Chase rose, holding Washington's Bible in 
his hands, and w r alked toward General Grant, who rose, and 
at an intimation from Mr. Chase, held up his hand and 
repeated the oath of office after the Chief Justice, as follows : 

"You, Ulysses S. Grant, do solemnly swear!" 

General Grant repeated the words in measured tones, not 
loud, but perfectly distinct, "I, Ulysses S. Grant, do sol- 
emnly swear." 

"That you will faithfully execute the office of President 
of the United States." 

" That I will faithfully execute the office of President of 
the United States." 

"And will, to the best of your ability, preserve, protect, 
and defend the Constitution of the United States." 

" And will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and 
defend the Constitution of the United States." 

" So help you God ! " 

" So help me God ! " 

As the upraised hand was lowered that grand shout of the 
thousands rang out again, thrilling all hearts with emotion 
that few will ever forget, and with it came the fast following 
thunders of the artillery. To this many tongued welcome 
the President only modestly bowed his thanks, and sat down 
with the Chief Justice. Partial quiet having been restored, 
the President rose and proceeded to read from manuscript 
his inaugural address, as follows : 

Citizens of the United States: 

Your suffrage having elevated me to the office of Presi- 
dent of the United States, I have, in conformity with the 



432 APPENDIX. 

Constitution of our country, taken the oath of office, pre- 
scribed therein. I have taken this oath without mental 
reservation, and with the determination to do to the best of 
my ability all that it requires of me. The responsibilities of 
the position I feel, but accept them without fear. The office 
has come to me unsought. I commence its duties untram- 
meled. I bring to it a conscientious desire and determin- 
ation to fill it, to the best of my ability, to the satisfaction 
of the people. On all the leading questions agitating the 
public mind, I will always express my views to Congress, 
and urge them according to my judgment; and when I think 
it advisable will exercise the constitutional privilege of in- 
terposing a veto to defeat measures which I oppose ; but all 
laws will be faithfully executed, whether they meet my ap- 
proval or not. I shall on all subjects pursue the policy of 
enforcing laws that are enacted, but will recommend none to 
be enforced against the will of the people. Laws are to 
govern all alike — those opposed to, as well as those who 
favor them. I know of no method to secure the repeal of bad 
or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution. 

The country having just emerged from a great rebellion, 
many questions will come before it for settlement in the 
next four years, which preceding administrations have never 
had to deal with. In meeting these it is desirable that they 
should be approached calmly, without prejudice, hate, or 
sectional pride, remembering that the greatest good to the 
greatest number is the object to be attained. This requires 
security of person and property, and freedom of religious 
and political opinions in every part of our common country, 
without regard to local prejudice. Laws to secure these will 
receive my best efforts for their enforcement. 

A great debt has been contracted in securing to us and our 
posterity the L T nion. The payment of this, principal and in- 
terest, as well as the return to a specie basis, as soon as it 



APPENDIX. 433 

can be accomplished without material detriment to the debtor 
class or to the country at large, must be provided for. To 
protect the national honor, every dollar of Government in- 
debtedness should be paid in gold, unless otherwise expressly 
stipulated in the contract. Let it be understood that no re- 
pudiator of one farthing of our public debt will be trusted 
in public place, and it will go far toward strengthening a 
credit which ought to be the best in the world, and will ulti- 
mately enable us to replace the debt with bonds bearing less 
interest than we now pay. To this should be added a faith- 
ful collection of the revenue, a strict accountability to the 
Treasury for every dollar collected, and the greatest prac- 
ticable retrenchment in expenditure in every department of 
Government. 

When we compare the paying capacity of the country 
now, with ten States still in poverty from the effects of war 
— but soon, I trust, to emerge into greater prosperity than 
ever before — with its paying capacity twenty-five years ago, 
and calculate what it probably will be twenty-five years 
hence, who can doubt the feasibility of paying every dollar 
then with more ease than we now pay for useless luxuries ? 
Why, it looks as though Providence had bestowed upon us a 
strong box, the precious metals locked up in the sterile 
mountains of the far West, which we are now forging the 
key to unlock, to meet the very contingency that is now 
upon us. Ultimately it may be necessary to increase the 
facilities to reach these riches, and it may be necessary, also, 
that the General Government should give its aid to secure 
this access, but that should only be when a dollar of obliga- 
tion to pay secures precisely tlie same sort of dollar to use 
now, and not before. 

Whilst the question of specie payments is in abeyance, 
the prudent business man is careful about contracting debts 
payable in the distant future. The nation should follow the 



434 APPENDIX. 

same rule. Prostrate commerce is to be rebuilt and all in- 
dustries encouraged. The young men of the country — those 
who from their age must be its rulers twenty-five years 
hence — have a peculiar interest in maintaining the national 
honor. A moment's reflection as to what will be our com- 
manding influence among the nations of the earth in their 
day, if they are only true to themselves, should inspire them 
■with national pride. All divisions, geographical, political 
and religious, can join in this common sentiment. How the 
public debt is to be paid, or specie payments resumed, is 
not so important as that a plan should be adopted and ac- 
quiesced in. A united determination to do, is worth more 
than divided councils upon the method of doing. Legisla- 
tion upon this subject may not be necessary now, or even 
advisable ; but it will be, when the civil law is more fully 
restored in all parts of the country and trade resumes its 
wonted channels. 

It will be my endeavor to execute all laws in good faith, 
to collect all revenues assessed, and to have them properly 
accounted for and economically disbursed. I will, to the 
best of my ability, appoint to office those only who shall 
carry out this design. 

In regard to our foreign policy, I would deal with nations 
as equitably as the law requires individuals to deal with 
each other, and I would protect law-abiding citizens, whether 
of native or of foreign birth, wherever their rights are jeop- 
ardized, or the flag of our country floats. I would respect 
the rights of all nations, demanding equal respect for our 
own. If others depart from this rule in their dealings with 
us, we may be compelled to follow their precedent. 

The proper treatment of the original occupants of this land, 
the Indians, is one deserving careful study. I will favor 
any course toward them which tends to their civilization, 
christianization, and ultimate citizenship. 



APPENDIX, 435 

The question of suffrage is one which is likely to agitate 
the public so long as a portion of the citizens of the nation 
are excluded from its privileges in any State. It seems to 
me very desirable this question should be settled now. I 
entertain the hope and express the desire it may be, by the 
ratification of the fifteenth article of amendment to the 
Constitution. 

In conclusion, I ask patient forbearance one toward an- 
other, throughout the land, and a determined effort, on the 
part of every citizen, to do his share toward cementing a 
happy Union; and I ask the prayers of the nation to Al- 
mighty God in behalf of this consummation. 

Few, of course, of that vast crowd could hear, but those 
near never before gave such heed to human words. The 
Supreme Court drank them in eagerly. The Senate bent, 
personal partisans and opponents alike, to catch their import. 
The House strained every nerve to hear, while the upturned 
faces along the front lines of the great concourse were fixed 
by an intense attention. There was a dead silence around 
the reader, and no applause till he had finished, and then the 
waves of sound rolled and beat fiercely on all sides again. 
During the delivery of the address little Nellie Grant was 
lifted over the shoulders of the intermediate spectators, and 
reached the side of her father, where she stood some time 
unseen and unnoticed by him, but so smiling and happy and 
brightly innocent that her presence seemed to lend a gleam 
of sunshine to the scene, and the incident called forth many 
expressions of pleasure and admiration. As the President 
turned away, the Vice-President stepped forward and received 
if possible still louder cheers, bowed in response, and followed 
the President off the stand. 

In an hour the lines were broken into columns ; the pro- 
cession moved off, with General Grant near its head, to the 



436 APPENDIX. 

music of many bands. The crowd dispersed, and quickly 
took position along the avenue and at all the cross streets, 
till it seemed as if all the strangers in the place had croAvded 
into those places which overlooked the line, returning with 
the new President and escort to the executive mansion. It 
was the first scene intensified and magnified. 

President Grant reached the "White House after his inau- 
guration about 2 P. M. He was met at the door by General 
Schofield, Secretary of War, who had been left by Mr. John- 
son in charge of the executive office. Vice-President Col- 
fax also accompanied President Grant to the White House. 
The members of the staff of General Grant were all present. 

Upon the entrance to the office the following dispatch was 
handed to President Grant : 

Berlin, March 4. 

President Grant, White House, Washington: 

My cordial congratulations on this solemn day. 

[Signed] Bismarck. 

In the evening there was a grand ball, and also a reception 
by President Grant and wife and Vice-President Colfax and 
wife, in the new wing of the Treasury Department, which 
was elegantly arranged for the non-official festivities. An 
immense crowd was present, and there was plenty of music, 
but not much dancing, owing to the want of room. The 
reception proved by far the most agreeable feature of the 
evening. 

A great deal of speculation was indulged in for some 
weeks previous to the inauguration in regard to the persons 
whom President Grant would call into his Cabinet, but he 
resolutely kept his own counsel, and selected the following : 

Secretary of State, Elihu B. Washburne, of Illinois; 
Secretary of the Treasury, Alex. T. Stewart, of New York ; 
Secretary of the Navy, Adolphe E. Borie, of Pennsylvania; 



APPENDIX. 437 

Secretary of the Interior, Jacob D. Cox, of Ohio; Post- 
master-General, John A. J. Cresswcll, of Maryland; Attor- 
ney-General, Eben. Rockwood Hoar, of Massachusetts. Hon. 
Columbus Delano, of Ohio, was appointed Commissioner of 
Internal Revenue, a position scarcely second in importance 
to any in the Cabinet. 

Under a long-forgotten clause of the act of Congress or- 
ganizing the Treasury Department, Mr. Stewart proved in- 
eligible, being actively engaged in business as a merchant 
and importer; and Secretary Washburne resigned, after a 
service of four days, to accept the position of Minister to 
France. On the 11th of March new appointments were 
made, as follows : Secretary of State, Hamilton Fish, of 
New York; Secretary of the Treasury, George S. Bout- 
well, of Massachusetts ; Secretary of "War, John A. Raw- 
lins, of Illinois, long the chief of Gen. Grant's staff. 

This is not a politician's cabinet, but all are men of capacity 
and sterling integrity. They are such men as no " rings," 
or "lobbies," or corruptionists of any sort can influence, 
but who will ably second the new President in his efforts 
toward restoring the Government to a basis of economy, re- 
trenchment, and honesty — in a word, a condition of things 
in which a faithful performance of his whole duty will be 
required of every public servant. Let the people sustain 
President Grant, and help him to make the nation's new 
departure as fair and prosperous as possible. This, we 
believe, they will do. All hail the new era ushered in for 
our whole united country by the inauguration of President 
Grant! 



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